Aftermath of Oban: Eva's Fairy Tale
by Catgirl-of-Bavaria
Summary: A Nourasian prince, and his Earthen princess, united in the midst of a vengeful war...The makings of a perfect fairy tale. Though not all fairy tales have a happy ending...Eva can only wonder if hers will be one of them .CH19. Making a Deal...I'M BACK!
1. Nourasian Nightmare

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Hey everyone, I am excited to be in the OSR section now! I just found out about this series at the very, very end of 2006, since we got Comcast, and I'm glad I found it too, it really grew on me! I actually saw episode 5 first, but it hooked me, so I went to find the rest of the series on Youtube, and I fell in love with it. As to my support of the Aikka/Molly pairing, well, I liked him from the beginning! As to Jordan…Eh, he's cool and everything, but I just stick by my thoughts that Aikka and Molly are the one who should be romantically involved…the story does a great job with the little love triangle though, made the whole series so enjoyable.

Anyway, here is the first chapter of my story. I am aware of how very short it is…but I promise the next ones are longer(I already have a lot written out) I thought about just joining the first two chapters, but I decided to just give the readers a bit of a taste before really getting into it. I'll update promptly, though, so if you like it, you won't have to wait too long. Please enjoy and review! Reviews are loved greatly!

Disclaimer—(gotta get it out of the way…) I don't own _anything_ of Oban Star Racers, but I give praise to Savin-sensei for creating it!

**--Chapter 1--**

**Nourasian Nightmare**

**--**

Fight or flight; it was a phrase he'd often heard in his lessons, a natural mechanism in almost every living thing in existence that dictated actions of defense. To run away and hopefully live to see another day, or enter battle for the preservation of one's life. He'd actually seen this phrase put to use in his times of racing; he had to know which battles to engage in, which ones to try and outrun. Sometimes these choices had to be made on the edge of a split second, it had to be quick. And he had to be sure.

And right now, he was entirely sure, that his decision was the right one. He had to flee, if only for now.

Aikka, Prince of Nourasia, ran down a lengthy bridge of a hallway, past the winding root-like architecture, stumbling over the vibrations coursing through the place, along with his own injuries. He had an arrow and his bow at the ready in his hands, but he prayed to the Creators that he wouldn't need to use them, quite yet. He hoped he was still undetected on his path.

Lights flashed outside the carved windows, but not friendly ones. They took the shape of blades, blades Aikka knew too well as the prongs of the Crogs, either from their ships, or the blades that they carried for deadly melee purposes. Though, he was comforted to a point that there was also a great deal of glowing blue soaring around out there; his people were fighting for their planet. He didn't want to think about the possibilities of casualties, however, there were sure to be many, considering it was the Crogs who were invading.

He didn't want to believe that he was the reason, but he knew he was.

A loose rock in the floor brought the Prince harshly to the ground as he ran, and the usually eloquent Aikka sputtered a couple choice Nourasian curses. A throb at his side brought his attention back to his pain, his injury. He brought in some ragged breaths, keeping his ears alert to any noise that would indicate an attack directed at him. Sapphire eyes scanned the darkness, trying to gauge his progress. Yes, he was almost there now, he saw a double doorway not too far from where he was, though it waved with his vision.

Shaking himself out of it, and ignoring the blood now staining his orange-tan hand, Aikka pulled himself to his feet, staggering only for a second, before continuing to the doors in a sprint.

"I have to get to her…" He murmured, egging himself on, fighting to keep himself after losing so much blood already.

Lasers suddenly fired straight in front of him, slicing through the stone walls from outside as if they were sculpted with butter, and the Prince ducked into a roll with agility as the lasers proceeded a line overhead. Great, now he'd been discovered. Not to mention that dive had taken a little more out of him, and even the fact that the corridor behind him was now being lost under the stone lost due to the lasers. And he needed time, at least a little, for what he was planning, but this new development could mean an obstacle.

Scraping himself up and readying his arrow, he spied the ship just outside that was opposing him. It looked alone, far from the others. If he could just take this one down, it would take the others a long while to realize what had happened to their comrade. It would be enough, at least, for him to get out of here.

So, with his will steeled, he aimed an arrow straight for what he could tell was the hull of the Crog ship, chanted a strong spell, and kept running. A glance back told him his arrows had been guided true, though it would prove difficult to take down their ship, even with his powerful shots. The controller of the ship was distracted enough though, and that was good enough for the prince.

He whipped the heavy doors open, and stumbled in, bow still in hand. Gasping and desperate for more breath, he leaned against the now shut doors, finding the sounds of the outside assault on his land were muffled by the thick stone walls of this new structure.

It was a vast and tall one, adorned with what looked like lacing and beautifully entwining tree roots and vines, dotted here and there with Nourasian blue stones. It was really a magnificent building, like the rest of the buildings in his world, but he could only hope that it would still be standing when he would return. He'd spent much of his time here, in the large place that served as more of a hangar than anything.

A great shriek came from in front of him, and the prince was brought back to his purpose, though he didn't have enough of a rest as he would have liked.

"G'dar, hush, let no one hear you," Aikka said softly, coming up to his mount, stroking the white shell above his head. G'dar was still panicked over the commotion outside, but trusted his master's words. He showed his apprehension through several swift clicks of his pincers.

"I know, I'm worried too…But we must get to her. We must get to Earth." Aikka looked past the auburn hair that hung now around his face, longer with time and dirtied by the battles he'd just escaped.

He grasped his side with another pang, and G'dar nudged him slightly, clicking worriedly along with his fear. Aikka quickly took hold of himself, and turned to face the door. That door needed to stay shut. Taking his bow from its present perch on his shoulder, and a duet of arrows from the pack on his back, he climbed atop G'dar, seated himself in the saddle, facing that door.

Bringing both arrows to just before his face, Aikka closed his eyes, concentrating his magic on this first task. He recalled this spell, he'd learned about it long ago in a lesson. Now, saying the words that went along with it, he aimed, turning his bow sideways and setting both arrows on the string. Blue eyes glinted as they watched the arrows sail away from him, both hitting their marks, on either door, just above the large metal handles.

Out of the arrows, orbs of bright blue grew, before turning into what looked like ribbons and elegantly weaving a braid over the seams of the shut door. Aikka gave a pleased look at his work, the braid tightening securely.

"That could even keep Kross out," Aikka said, giving G'dar below him a pat, though at the same time, hoping the Creators wouldn't have a strange sense of humor and send said Crog after him. "Now, G'dar, we should have adequate time."

G'dar clicked curiously, but kept still. Aikka, meanwhile, settled his bow on his shoulder, solidifying his ignorance of his own injuries. Those could wait. The Prince had decided his priorities.

Holding shaky arms out, and lidding his eyes against the blue glow provided by the woven lock on the door, Aikka concentrated again, recalling the lesson he'd taught himself not half an hour before, back in the library of his palace, a lesson he'd sought in desperation for a way to get to one place, to one person. He reread every word of the book in his mind, finding it fresh and as if the book was set right in front of him.

He brought his hands slowly together, all the while murmuring the spell, repeating it and repeating it, and filling his mind with the image of one girl. Aikka fortified that image in his mind, focusing on her until the image looked as if he could reach out a hand and touch her, stroke her hair, as if he leaned forward and would find her in his arms. The thought made him smile into his chanting, and finally, his hands met in the classic Nourasian fashion; flattened together and in front of his face, as he had many a time bowed to a defeated opponent in a race. His headpiece only added to the blue glow of the place.

A powerful wave seemed to emanate from the union of his hands, and a great blue ring appeared in front of both the prince and G'dar. Aikka suddenly felt a wind that hadn't been there before, seeming to pull him into this new ring in front of them, pulling at his shoulder length hair.

He finished off the spell's chant, earning a strengthening in the wind around him and G'dar. Luminous sapphires opened again, and peered into the swirling portal.

"_Take me to her, take me to Molly,"_ He said softly, as if it were a mantra, fixing again, that one image of the girl he'd met almost a human-length year ago, the pilot he knew as Molly.

As if in obedience to its conjurer, the ring gave a sort of buzz, and quickly zipped over G'dar and his mount, as if processing them, sending them into a foreign world, a world between worlds.

"Molly…" Aikka confirmed in this new, strange world, that reminded him of a sort of tunnel made of a wide spectrum of colors. He found her name somehow soothing to him as he said it and thought it methodically, as he pictured his young human princess. He could feel it now, they were beginning to go faster, perhaps they were nearing their destination.

"By the power of the Creators and the Avatar, guide me to Molly!"

**--**

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **There we go. Again, I promise the other chapters are better length, though the next one is only about a page or so longer than this one. Either way, their longer!

_Also, something I was wondering; to anyone who is more in the OSR news loop than myself –which is probably everyone… I read on Youtube, on one of the comment sections for an OSR amv that there was a second series confirmed, like a sequel series or something. So, my question is, for anyone who may know, is that true or false? I know enough not to believe things I read on youtube, just because it's not reliable enough…but I don't know anything about it myself. So, anyone else hear about this, or know if it's true? It'd be great, but I'm not raising my hopes up too much. If anyone could shed some light on the subject, that'd be great!_


	2. Saviors in the Sky

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Told you guys I'd be back soon! And thank you to Star Fata for the info on the new series, I hope more turns up about it! And thank you also to DBZ angel for the review as well, I'm glad you like it so far!

Dislcaimer- I still own nothing of Oban but this fan-made plot.

**--Chapter 2--**

**Saviors in the Sky**

**--**

Eva Wei gave a hefty sigh; things just weren't going her way today.

"What the heck is wrong with you!?" She threw her rocket seat a dirty look. How dare it defy her, and on the way home! It had broken down, and its annoyed master had it propped up on a couple of rocks, and had just pulled herself out from under it, cursing at the fact that she probably didn't have the correct tools, possibly even parts with her in her school bag.

She always carried tools with her, sometimes even random parts, just in case a breakdown should occur. Though, of course, now that she did have a breakdown, in the middle of a vast field, no less, she coincidentally didn't have the proper tools to fix her moped.

To make matters worse, she was currently wearing a skirt, the uniform of her school that they'd finally talked her into trying out. They, that is to say, her teachers, and her father, even some classmates were in on it. She had always been comfortable in the boy's version of the uniform, but she had caved today, even if only to, in her own words, shut them up about it. Maybe, if she wore it one day, just one measly day, they'd leave her alone. But of course, on that one measly day, she had to fix her rocket seat after school, in a skirt. Not exactly the best wear for such purposes.

"Ah, I guess this thing is getting a bit old…but it hasn't even been a year! It should have a lot more in it!!" Eva tried to reason for her vehicle's defense, but found that side a bit slippery to stand on.

After a bit of a staring contest with that vehicle, Eva sighed and decided to fiddle with the wires again. She figured that maybe something was disconnected inside, since everything outside seemed to be fine.

Self-consciously smoothing her skirt to hopefully cover her enough, Eva leaned over the thing, fiddling with a screwdriver until she could pry the silver and painted cover off and find all of the wires and gadgets inside. Sifting through said wires, she eventually found the problem.

"Heh, no wonder it won't work. Stupid right handle got disconnected, somehow…" She said, twirling a wire between her fingers, the wire having looked like it got ripped in two. "Must have been a short or something…"

She reached over to her bag, rummaging until she found some electrical tape. Tearing a bit off with aid from her teeth, the sixteen year old deftly wound the tape around the two parts, ensuring that the copper bits within were touching as she did so. She pulled herself back up, and set the metal cover back into its place to protect the wiring inside and worked the screws carefully back into their places. She patted the vehicle she'd created from scrap; it was almost as much her baby as the Whizzing Arrow III had been to Stan and Koji. It may not be the one that accompanied her on her journey to Alwas and Oban, but she had begun creating this new one almost immediately after her return to Earth, and she created it in the image of her first. She had even thrown in a bit of a paint job, painting it with the colors of the Arrow III, even giving it her signature 'evil bunny' on the front of the chassis. It gave her a smile whenever she looked at it, thinking about all that she'd done in the ship that the new vehicle memorialized.

Eva looked to the sky, as if she could see Alwas, as if she could see Oban, straight from her standpoint on that little grassy hill. As if she could see the friends she'd made, and had to leave. She really wished she could see all that. She missed it so much. And this was probably the millionth time she'd thought of those places and people during that day alone. How could anyone at all go through all of that, and come home to a fairly mundane life and expect to carry on as if it was nothing? As if they could easily forget about the adventure like it was any ordinary happening?

She let out a sigh, finding that the heavens weren't about to serve as her television of memories, and gripped her newly fixed bike by the handle bars.

"Let's see how she is now," Eva smiled, and started the device with a twist of the rubber handle bar. It revved up perfectly to her expectations, though it had nowhere to go, being trapped on top of the rocks. Eva smiled all the broader at her creation.

"Back in business," She grinned, releasing her rocket seat and brushing her hands off of one another, smacking the dirt out of those gloves that could always be found on her hands. She was on her way to brush any opposing dirt off her knees, when some movement caught her eye and brought it to the edge of this meadow.

Eva straightened up, her crimson eyes wide and scanning to identify the visitor. As the wind picked up and blew her red and black hair around her face, she groaned with realization of who it really was.

"I'm not here. I'm too busy rummaging in my bag to notice you!" She sang lowly, stooping and turning away to do just as she said; rummage in her bag. She hummed a little tune to herself as she rustled and rustled in her bag for an object she didn't need, watching the seconds pass twice as long as they should.

'They should be gone, now, right?' Eva thought hopefully as her hand ceased to rummage, her crimson eyes daring to look over her shoulder.

"Hey, Eva," A voice sounded from almost directly behind her, causing the dyed-hair girl to inwardly groan.

"Ah, hey, Ren! How are ya?" Eva shot back up from her crouch, turning around and fingering the goggles on her head nervously. 'I should have just zoomed out of here before they noticed me! I didn't win Oban for nothing!' Eva scolded herself, inwardly hitting herself with one of her favorite and most hefty wrenches.

The girl before her, Ren, smirked, looking Eva up and down. Behind her were about four others, half girls and half boys. Eva hated to admit she knew these people, she hated to admit that they had once been close to being her friends. Yeah, they blew that the instant they doubted her about what she so readily told them about Oban.

"See you're finally wearing the skirt, you giving up being a boy?" Ren asked the girl nastily, tossing a bit of her blonde hair out from beside her face. Eva simply rolled her eyes.

"If insulting me until I run home to my daddy crying is what you're trying to do, you're going to have to do better than that." Eva crossed her arms defiantly, as if to dare them to try.

"Your daddy? As in the one who didn't know you existed for ten years of your life?" Ren tossed back casually, but with a slight glint in her eyes.

Eva glared, but made no move to indicate the words' effect on her.

"Yep. That one, who, for the record, is now just as much a father to me as any of yours is to you!" Eva's voice elevated slightly, but still kept her cool. Her father did his best, now that they'd been properly related for almost a year.

"Also the one who supposedly won the race of Obar, too, right along with his pilot daughter?" The raven-haired girl behind Ren added in, eager to do her own damage. Her voice was a mocking coo, and it was angering Eva, though she was stubborn enough to never show it; all her little battles with her father had trained her well for this.

"I told you, it's _Oban_, and it really did happen! I really did race!" Eva retorted, shoving everything that hadn't made it into her bag again, back in with her foot. "It's kind of sad that I live on a planet with some of the most untrustworthy people in the galaxy, I've met _slugs_ that I can trust more than you lot! At least they would listen to my stories and not throw them back at my face like they were garbage!"

Everyone before her looked dumbstruck. Serves them right, she knew, they never believed a word of her story. They were probably still figuring that Eva valued alien slugs more than them. Suddenly one of the boys chimed in his own insult, just as Eva turned, picking her bag up and making to hop on her rocket seat.

"Come on, Eva, it's so far fetched, how would you expect anyone to believe that you actually raced? I mean, the whole load about the 'creators' or whatever, that ultimate prize, and what was it, your gunner becoming some all powerful _Avatar_? How would you expect us to believe _any_ of that?" He asked sardonically. Eva, who'd managed to get her hands around the handle bars before she froze, stared menacingly at her seat. She only vaguely noticed her hands starting to shake.

"For your information," Eva suddenly turned, glaring the guy in the eye. "The Creators are not a load, it's the truth, but that may be beyond your comprehension, so I'll let it slide. But our gunner practically gave his life for me! And if you insult him, that will not fly." She told them all firmly, trying to resist the trip down a very depressing memory lane this insult was bringing up.

"Ooh, looks like we've struck a nerve!" Ren snickered, taking a step towards her once-friend. "So, tell me, Eva, this gunner of yours, were you two _involved_?" Eva turned her glare back to Ren, knowing she never said anything to this group about what Jordan had told her…She'd never gotten that far before they labeled her story as unbelievable.

"Even if we were, it's not like I'd tell you! Like I said, slugs on Alwas are more trustworthy than you!" Eva said, trying to ignore the blush that was popping up on her face at the thought of Jordan's last moments with her.

"Aw, look, she's blushing, how cute that she has a crush on an imaginary friend!" the second boy cooed. The group gave a slight laugh, while Eva fumed.

"Fine, believe whatever you want, I'm so out of here!" Eva hissed, grabbing her bag and preparing to swing a leg over her rocket seat. Before she could manage anything, though, a hand grabbed her by the wrist.

"Oh, come on, Eva, you used to be lots of fun!" Ren laughed scathingly, giving her once-friend a tug in attempts to pull her off the bike.

"That was before I made the mistake of telling you one of the greatest things to ever happen to me, you jerks!" Eva yelled at all of them, twisting her hand out of Ren's grip and using it to push Ren into a backward stumble. Eva gasped at her own out-lash, and how Ren's demeanor seemed to have changed, and for the worst. The blonde haired girl, with some encouragement from her friends, marched up to Eva, grabbing a collection of the girl's white button up uniform top.

"You wanna try pushing me again?" Ren hissed dangerously. Eva inwardly sighed; this was partially her fault for trying to befriend such a quick-tempered group. Before she could respond, she was shoved, and almost over the back of her bike. Quickly regaining herself while leaning on the thing, Eva threw out a kick to keep an advancing Ren at bay.

"So, you guys want a fight, do ya?" Eva hopped up into a fighter's stance, ready for the group, who did indeed confirm her question with the solid and glaring looks on their faces.

Ren was the first to charge, but Eva dodged her fist with ease, managing a fist into her former friend's stomach. Eva grinned, but found a hand flying through her cheek at that moment, this one from one of the other girls; which one, however, she didn't care to tell. She grabbed the hand that had just assaulted her, and maneuvered the person who owned it away from her in a sweep, earning a slight cry from the girl as she collided with one of the boys.

Eva suddenly noticed that the group had practically surrounded her, she prepared herself for the next advance, and managed to keep them off of her, utilizing various tricks, sometimes those that she learned from her stay on Alwas and Oban. She was not only good at avoiding opponents in a star racer, but in hand to hand as well. However, it remained that the fight was five to one, and it eventually caught up with her; she blocked a blow to her face, only to be hit square in the gut by one of the boys.

Gasping for her lost breath, Eva stumbled back, finally showing a weakness. Two of her opponents grabbed her by the wrists and forced her back up, to face Ren. Eva grinned to find that she'd left her own marks on her former friend, specifically a few scrapes on her cheeks, and one on her chin. Though the throbbing that was in her face right now indicated that she had at least a few scratches of her own to match.

"You really think you could have taken all of us? How pathetic." Ren laughed, folding her arms across her chest, coming forward to Eva. Eva simply laughed, her red eyes narrowed and glued to the blonde before her.

"Yeah, actually I did. Humans are nothing. Humans are easy compared to what I've been up against before." Eva put simply as that.

"Well, then, care to explain to me why you're now cornered and pinned by two of us?" Ren laughed back. "One of your alien friends gonna come and save the day or somethin'?"

Eva was about to throw something back, when she caught the sound of something, something familiar; a sort of buzzing. It sounded from above, and probably behind her, but it tugged hard at her memory. She knew that sound…

--

Aikka held tight to his riding seat, coming to the end of this wormhole of a portal, as the wind continued whipping around himself and G'dar. He gripped his side a little harder, as if willing the wound there to stop bleeding, to stop causing him such excruciating pain. If he at least held pressure on it, it would help, all the more painful though it was.

"This is it, G'dar, prepare yourself," he said softly to his beetle mount, who cried its apprehension again.

The blue ring appeared again, and Aikka knew, this was certainly it. On the other side, assuming and hoping that everything had gone to his plan, was Earth. On the other side of that ring was the girl called Molly. He hoped he wouldn't have to look far.

With the passing of that ring, the prince and G'dar found themselves in midair, suddenly floating after the high speed journey through the portal. They began to fall.

"G'dar, spread your wings!" the prince commanded hastily, not having time to notice the landscape, that happened to be hurtling at them. G'dar was in no hurry to disobey.

Now taking the time to observe where he was, Aikka scanned the area below. There were several buildings around, mostly in scattered groups. They were tall, and often blocky, quite contrasting to his own planet's structures, which were flowing and smooth, harmonious with the nature. These seemed as if they'd just been stuck there, with no real desire to fit in to the world around them, which, sufficed to say, was beautiful in nature.

Easily luring his mind to more important matters than sight seeing, Aikka began to scan directly below him, and found a small green field. His breath nearly caught as he noticed what was in the center of this clearing; there were six figures, figures of humans, he could tell from even above. Next to them was a mechanical device, one he recognized as being Molly's transportation; he'd seen her on Alwas on that thing, or at least something similar. The smile that was budding on his face, however, faded as soon as he saw the hostility surging through the group of humans below.

With another look, he identified one head, that unmistakable red on top of black that flared around her shoulders, the pair of racing goggles set just above her bangs. It was his human princess, but it wasn't right; not only was she being held back, but one of the other humans had just sent a backhand across her cheek!

"Molly," Aikka muttered angrily; how dare they touch her, let alone harm her! "G'dar, take me lower!" the young prince commanded his mount, who readily obeyed, gliding down from the sky. Aikka still wasn't sure about how this would go, with him seeming only moments off from complete exhaustion, but he had to get those dishonorable humans away from his friend. He wrapped a hand around the handle of his dagger, ready to unsheathe it.

The humans attacking Eva seemed to notice their new accompaniment, for they looked frantically around for the same buzzing sound that Eva was hearing. What they found, was the sight of a giant beetle blocking out the sun. The two behind Ren noticed first, and let out gasps, contemplating between running away and sticking around to see what the new herald meant. Ren then noticed, and let out a gasp of her own. Eva, seeing the other's reactions, could only believe that she indeed wasn't going crazy or hearing things in the face of her defeat. She apparently wasn't the only one hearing this sound that prodded so desperately at her memory. But before she had time to look up for herself, though, something dropped from the sky, landing roughly before her. She found her crimson eyes fixated on the new visitor, and didn't even notice her captors release her in fear.

"It would be wise of you humans to not harm this girl any more," Aikka growled through the jolts of pain that had come from his leap off of G'dar. "Unless you desire to make very powerful enemies across the galaxy."

Ren and the others stood, paralyzed, staring at the alien being before them, or, rather, the threatening dagger that he brandished before him. He had stunning blue eyes, but at the moment, they were full of malice. He didn't look too well, either, for all the scratches, bruises, and the side of his shirt being drenched in scarlet. She suddenly, along with her friends, re-noticed the enormous beetle, glaring at them through beady blue eyes of its own, hovering over both Eva and the injured alien boy. The bug gave a shrill shriek, directly at them, causing them all to jump considerably off the ground.

"C'mon, let's get outta here!" Ren commanded her group, their feud with Eva forgotten.

Aikka watched with accomplishment as the group ran away yelling, looking over their shoulders as if G'dar was chasing them, intent on making them his next meal. He felt his heart trying desperately to keep up with him, he felt it throbbing in his side as he pushed his dagger back into its sheath with more effort than should have been normal. He was in terrible condition, and he was struggling to keep on his feet any more. But, he had made it. He had found Molly, and he had stopped any more harm from coming to her. He had lived to see her again.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **So, just a note, I know how in the last episode the team was told to keep the whole race top secret, but I decided to keep this chapter, with Eva's 'friends' having been told…I actually wrote this chapter before I even saw the last episode. But, though I usually stick to the plot of the things I write on, I don't think this will be that big of a deal. It's not a big detail, and these guys won't be showing up again. So, not a problem, just a little disclaimer.


	3. Several Surprises

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Whoa, I'm not sure, but this could be the best response I've gotten to a story, judging by the amount of reviews in the last couple of days! X3 So, anyway, a bunch of shout-outs to the reviewers, so I'll get to that now as to save space!

_Sekai Nerah_Thanks so much, and I have been keeping up with 'Mistaken,' and I'm really liking it. I have been meaning to review, but my new internet service doesn't like pop-ups, and apparently the review screen is considered one…kind of a pain, but mark my words, I'll review it soon!

_Crystal Persian:_ lol, all in good time ;)

_CrystalRose727:_ I'm hoping my story can live up to your expectations! And if that is the case with the next series, I hope everything bodes well with them sales…

_DBZ angel: _Kyah, I'm glad you love it so much! X3

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _Yep, good stuff is hard sometimes, isn't it? And I have to agree, having a secret like that would definitely suck…Though I'd probably stay on Oban myself, that place rocks :D And I do hope they do get another series out, I mean, they took care of Kanaletto and everything, but the Crogs, like you said, are still around and probably not very happy…Anyway, I'm glad you're liking it so far, and here's the next chapter for you!

_Selenemaree: _Thanks for your suggestion(You're the first to offer me one!) and your review, and here's what happens next!

_Frubaforever: _I'll check out your story, and here's my update!

Thank you and love to all of the above! And I don't have to write another disclaimer, do I? –runs away to avoid typing out another one-

**--**

**--Chapter 3--**

**Several Surprises**

**--**

Eva stared at Aikka from behind, hardly daring to believe he was really there, and that he had just saved her. A smile began to form on her face, along with a slight blush, until she saw him stagger, as if he were trying, but failing, to turn to her. She suddenly noted just how beat up he really looked; his hair was even free from being tied up in his usual ponytails, his usually regal clothes were ragged and dirty, there were bruises and scrapes up and down his exposed, tan arms.

"Prince Aikka…?" She whispered, before crying out as he simply fell forward without any warning. G'dar clicked his pincers nervously, and Eva was already at Aikka's side, trying to turn him over.

"Aikka, can you hear me? Please say something!" Eva called worriedly as G'dar finally settled on the ground, coming up next to the prince. She managed to get him onto his back, and finally was able to notice the large crimson stain on the side of his tunic. "He's hurt, he's hurt bad…" Eva said to no one, as the Prince was now passed out.

She found his face, and found it unusually paled, a look of pain tugging at his expression. She gently stroked his cheek, fighting back tears. She set her ear to his chest, and was relieved to hear a heartbeat, though it was frighteningly weak. Leaning over she only barely hugged his shaking shoulders, fighting her own shoulders that were shaking as well as his, but out of fighting the instinct to cry.

"What happened to you, Aikka?" she murmured into his auburn hair.

When Eva finally dragged her now tearstained face from Aikka's neck, she wiped away at the tears on her face, and looked to G'dar. He looked concerned about his master, and glanced up from him to look at her. They seemed to be formulating a plot to get the Prince to safety, even though no sounds were made. Suddenly, Eva got up, and strode straight back to her rocket seat, gripping it by the handlebars and tugging it roughly up and off of the rocks it was settled on.

"We have to get him to my dad's hangar. It's not far from here." Eva told the bug as she tugged her vehicle into a calculated position near the injured Nourasian. "Sorry, G'dar, but I can't get him up on you, and if you carried him with your legs, it might make his injury even worse…" Eva told her companion, who responded in reluctant, but agreeable cackling. She stood back from the scene, quickly calculating how she could lever Aikka onto her bike and keep him safe there on the ride to the hangar.

"I'm so sorry, Aikka," Eva apologized in advance, grasping him by the arms and dragging him the short distance to the rocket seat, being careful and attentive to the prince's involuntary reactions to whatever she was doing. She managed to get him onto the first seat of the thing, and wiped her forehead carefully with her gloved hand, but struggled to get him seated properly. G'dar stepped forward, and helped her maneuver his master's leg over the chassis.

Eva gave a sigh, partially of relief, but partially out of apprehension for the coming ride. She glanced to the other side of the meadow, the direction to her father's hangar, just off of a race track. It wasn't far, but she'd never ridden this rocket seat with an unconscious passenger before, let alone a perilously injured one. She glared determinedly, and positioned herself from the passenger seat behind Aikka, relieved to find that her hand still reached the accelerator handle when she practically stood from her seat, though the brake handle was lost, for her left hand was currently supporting Aikka by the chest. She'd have to take this slow, with no brakes to keep her safe. Luckily, though, she could easily coast to a stop when she reached the Wei hangar. With a look to G'dar she nodded.

"Just follow me, okay?" she commanded to the bug, hoping he liked her enough to trust her with his master. G'dar responded with a light shriek, and opened his vast wings, taking to the air.

Eva smiled at the bug, and took in a breath. With great care, she twisted the accelerator slightly, and the bike pulled her gently down the hill at her slow speed. Going so slow was a new thing to her, and so it took her a few seconds to adjust.

"Come on, Eva, you can do this. Just like riding a new racer; just gotta get used to it…" She coached herself, experimenting only a little with the accelerator, trying to find the happy medium between too slow for Aikka's health, or too fast to keep control. She had to get to the track fast, but the last thing she wanted was to cause more harm to him should she lose control.

G'dar followed easily, and soon they were out of the meadow, and pacing through a couple of streets that stood between them and the track, and her father's hangar. She'd been on her way there anyway, but she couldn't help but wonder what Don Wei's reaction to the injured Nourasian would be.

Eva peered in every direction, weary of any cars, but she finally reached the track. Now it was a matter of getting to the other side, where the hangars and especially the infirmary were. She clutched the injured prince assuredly to her.

"Don't worry, you're going to be fine. I'll find out who did this to you…That's a promise." Eva whispered softly into his ear as she coasted around the outer edges of the race track bleachers. "Please, just hang in there…"

--

"Where is that girl, she was supposed to be here half an hour ago!" Don Wei was clearly noticing his daughter's absence at his hangar. It was hard not to, not only was Eva his daughter, but she was one of the better mechanics in his hangar, and she would definitely appreciate the Wei's current visitors being there, not only for improving her own expertise, but because they hadn't seen each other for a fair few months. "I apologize, you two, I told her to be here today, she's usually here within five minutes of school being out."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, sir, we have plenty of time." The polite voice of Koji sounded as the oriental mechanic pressed his spectacles back to their proper place on the bridge of his nose.

"Besides, it's good to have a nice break." Stan's voice came muffled from under a newspaper, as the dark skinned man leaned lazily back in a rolling chair, his feet propped up on a bench. "I'm sure she'll be here soon anyway. You know she loves racing."

Don Wei nodded reluctantly; he still to this day was not keen on his daughter racing, lest it lead her down the same path as Maya had gone, but it was in her blood, and it couldn't be denied. Besides that, whenever he would try to forbid her from racing, she'd take it none too well. So the racing manager had eventually settled on letting her racing privileges ride on her grades. That certainly did wonders for her report cards, at least.

"Dad!" a cry echoed from just outside the hangar door, and Don looked up just in time to see his daughter gliding slowly to a stop on her rocket seat.

"Eva, why are you late? I told you-" Don cut himself off, noticing the extra passenger on his daughters rocket seat.

Eva groaned, frustrated, as she continued drifting around, not able to come to a complete stop, and shifted the prince into her right hand, gripping the brake handle firmly, bringing the two to a lurching stop.

"Eva, what is the meaning of this?" Don asked, coming down the stairs to his daughter's side. Stan and Koji consulted each other, puzzled, and went to see what was going on as well. These two were followed by a long-haired, sunglass-clad man.

"Dad, we gotta help him!" Eva looked desperately to her father, indicating the Nourasian in her arm. Don came to a stop, finally noticing that the extra passenger was unconscious and injured. He gasped to then notice G'dar floating up to them and settling before the hangar.

"Whoa, isn't that the racer from Nourasia?" Koji asked, fascinated from just inside the garage. Eva tossed her head in the direction of her mechanic friends.

"Stan! Koji! What are you…" Eva stammered, still cradling the prince in her arms.

"We came to visit you, of course!" Koji said cheerfully.

"Well, well, looks like the Little Mouse brought home an injured Nourasian prince! And a giant bug, too." The former pilot Rick smiled, coming between Stan and Koji, clapping a hand on both of their shoulders. "And here Don was worried a few weeks ago when she brought home a kitten from the rain!"

"Yeah, he's injured, I need to get him to the infirmary…Could you guys help me out, he's heavier than he looks…" Eva stepped off her sleeping rocket seat, still keeping a firm hold on the prince.

"Eva, there's blood on your shirt!" Don Wei observed, indicating to the girl, her white uniform top that was indeed stained with red.

"Well, yeah, just look at him!" Eva countered, "I got him all the way here, so of course his blood's on me!" Eva began to tear up, just thinking about the gaping wound that was probably just under his tunic. "And he's losing more by the second! I have to get him to the hospital!" She cried, pointing in the direction the infirmary was, just a few hangars down the line.

"Come on, Little Mouse, of course we'll help you. Stan, Koji, get over here!" Rick came back to the scene, dragging one of the hangar's roll up stretchers with him. Unfurling it, he gave one end to the stronger mechanic, Stan. "Koji, help Eva with the prince." Koji obeyed his command, and strategically gripped the Nourasian's legs while Eva supported his torso, and together they lifted him onto the stretcher, held ready by the two larger men.

Making sure the Prince was resting as comfortably as possible, Eva turned to her father as the two men started on their way to the infirmary.

"Dad, could we keep G'dar in here for a while? I don't know what else to do with him…" Eva asked her father, gazing at the prince's mount, who was now clicking worriedly for his master, but staying where he'd landed after following the girl.

Don looked a little taken back for a second, and looked nervously at the large bug. It wasn't a question of size, per se; his hangar was large enough for three star racers. But it was more a question of the bug's demeanor, his behavior. And, of course, this whole mess was just one big surprise. He hated surprises.

"Ah…" He suddenly cleared his throat nervously, catching eye of his daughter's pleading look. "Alright. If he stays in line, he can stay in here…until the Prince is better." Eva gave her father a huge hug, and ran off to catch the bug's attention. "Wait, Eva, don't get yourself hurt trying to tame that thing!"

"Don't worry, I think he trusts me! He trusted me with Aikka!" Eva waved back at her father.

"Next thing you know, my daughter will be killed by an oversized beetle…" Don Wei shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"Don't worry, sir. She has a great knack for many things, I think taming Nourasian racing beetles may be one of them." Koji laughed, indicating the bug, clicking and following the teen age girl who had a hand on its black head. Don sighed, and turned to go back up the stairs.

"I'll be in my office. I was hoping for this to be a happy birthday for Eva, but…" He trailed off, not looking at Koji. "Already there have been too many surprises."

"It'll be better in the morning, that's actually when her birthday is, isn't it? I think she'll be thrilled just to have you there for it." Koji told the manager respectfully. Don didn't respond, but pulled himself back into his office as Koji ran to accompany Eva on her way to the hospital wing.

"So, Eva, what exactly happened to him?" Koji asked gently, coming up beside Eva, who was now preparing to get back on her rocket seat. She swung a leg over and revved the engine, and Koji suddenly flustered. "Hey, wait, let me on, I'll come with you!"

She allowed him on, and zoomed off, probably before the mechanic was ready. Koji gave a little yelp and wrapped his arms around Eva's midriff, feeling a little uncomfortable with doing so.

"I don't know what happened to him, but I don't have any good feelings about it. Aikka is strong. Seeing him like this is so…" Eva continued the conversation over the hum of her engine, her eyes fixed on the hospital ahead, along with Rick and Stan, and of course, the prince.

"Scary?" Koji suggested at her silence.

"Terrifying." Eva nodded, saying so quietly.

"Hey, Eva," Koji said after a little while longer. Eva nodded to signal she was listening. "Don …I mean, your dad, he invited me and Stan. For your birthday, I mean."

Eva looked over her shoulder at her friend, unable to see much more than a glint of his glasses.

"I know how your past birthdays have been for you, he told us, that it was lonely for you, with no one there to celebrate with you, so he invited us to hang out with you, along with him, of course." Koji smiled at her speechlessness. "I know me and Stan have said that he's heartless, but…I definitely think we were wrong. He's really trying for you this year, you know?"

Eva couldn't help but smile, a little tear running down her cheek. She just remembered, tomorrow would be the one year anniversary of the day she broke out of boarding school to find her father. And if she hadn't done that, her life would have been drastically different today. She was ultimately glad she had found her father, cold and heartless though he had been to her as 'Molly,' no matter how many nights on Alwas or Oban had been spent in frustrated and angry crying fits.

"I'll have to thank all you guys when I get the proper time to." Eva turned a smile to her passenger as they pulled up in front of the hospital. "Come on, I have to find him now."

"Right," Koji nodded, hopping off the bike and following after her.

"Where is he?" Eva demanded, striding purposefully down the corridor, past Rick and towards the door he was guarding, fully intent on opening it to find her friend. Rick stopped her by grabbing her around the waist, pulling her away from her destination.

"Whoa, Eva, calm down, kid," Rick told her, tugging a now struggling sixteen year old back. "You can see him in a second, but the nurses are giving him a full exam of his injuries," Rick explained with a rise of an eyebrow. Eva simply looked at him with a puzzled expression, at which Rick sighed. "Meaning if you barge in there right now, you'll see more of prince Charming than I can allow you to, Little Mouse."

Eva suddenly got it, and looked away with a deep blush. Rick released the now harmless teen, and leaned back on his spot on the wall. Eva gave a look to Koji, and the two of them slid down the wall opposite Rick.

"Wait, then, where is Stan?" Koji looked around for his partner, pressing his stubborn glasses back into their spot. Rick simply indicated the shut door next to him.

"Helping." The ex-pilot said with a shrug.

Eva set her head on her knees; she just wanted Aikka to be awake, to be well. She hadn't seen whatever wound was the source of all the blood on him, but she was of course fearing the worst. Even worse and more worrisome, though, was how it had gotten there. Speaking of which, how exactly had he gotten there, anyway? Nourasian princes didn't just pop up in the sky every day…

"Hey, you guys can come in now," Stan told them from the door after what seemed to Eva like an eternity. He looked a little pale, which didn't help Eva's worries at all. She pelted to the door, and Stan grabbed her shoulder gently as she entered.

"I…think you should see this, Eva." He told her soberly. Eva followed him to where the nurses were standing, over the prince's bed, examining and wiping up blood from Aikka's main wound on his side.

"What, what's wrong with him?" Eva asked nervously, following her friend to the side of the bed alongside the two nurses. She found that Aikka still had his torn and damaged pants, but his shirt was gone, probably discarded for being so ruined with blood. His distinctive brown pieces of armor and his weaponry were folded up in a chair next to his bed.

"This is an unusual wound," the first nurse began, as she dabbed at some blood on the Nourasian's deep tan skin. Eva's eyes widened, finding the opposing gash, one that looked frighteningly deep, and curved from the side of his toned stomach to his back. "It appears to be the work of a sharp blade, but it also looks like a burn, as if it were the blade itself." The nurse diagnosed, indicating the damaged wound.

"It's not only a very painful type of wound, but it makes it harder to heal, as the burnt tissue is harder to rejoin together," the other nurse chimed in. "Ms. Wei, you found him, did you not? Do you have any clue of who or what could have done this to him?"

Eva suddenly recalled something, or rather, she was hit by a memory, a memory of a certain race on Alwas; she and Jordan were racing, they were winning, and she had just successfully used the hyper speed to completely outrun her opponent. But like that, it was all over. The ship somehow not only caught up to them, but that yellow, glowing blade, sliced straight through them, straight through the Arrow II with no effort at all.

Eva suddenly collapsed into a chair she only vaguely knew was behind her, burying her face in her hands.

"Ms. Wei? Are you alright? Do you have any ideas?" one of the nurse's voices called to her, though it sounded distant to her. Her hands ran through some of her hair.

"I have a theory…" Eva said with a bit of malice in her voice.

Stan set a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder, having come to the same conclusion himself. He gave a look at Koji, who was paling at simply the sight of blood.

"Those trident blades did seem to have a heated type of energy to them," Koji recalled quietly, catching the nurse's observations. "In fact, I'd say that they were pure energy…"

All three of Eva's male companions exchanged strained looks; they knew full well why the subject of those blades was a hard one for the girl, they'd all seen it when Toros's ship had sliced their racer in two. What they didn't know, was how it was going to affect the poor girl, should the prince not recover from the wound.

Eva didn't bother to hear Koji, but was rather in her own world. With her hands entangled in her hair, the girl worried, putting puzzles together about Aikka's attack; the Crogs had to have been the ones who attacked him. It was probably a fight over the race of Oban, that they had of course lost. Not only that, but Aikka had ultimately betrayed them, and in the end she had won the ultimate prize with his help. There was all the reason she needed to figure out why they'd attacked him.

She couldn't say how long it had been that she'd been there, but the light was beginning to fade from outside, and suddenly two hands touched her in passing.

"He's doing alright, now, Ms. Wei, we'll leave him to you now. Call us if you need anything." Eva didn't look up from the ground but nodded her understanding. With the latching of the door across the room, Eva knew she was alone now; Stan and Koji had long since left with Rick after leaving their regards with her. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, finding that her legs had been threatening to go to sleep. Sunset was soon, she could tell with a look out the window. Her gaze fell next upon Aikka, and she decided to drag herself over to the prince. Standing above him, she noticed several places that had been covered in bandages, large or small. The largest was the one that was now wrapped around his side, held in place with medical tape. And though the blood and dirt was wiped away, the sight was still leaving her with a knot in her stomach.

She found his armor in the chair next to her, and found even the thick, leather-like material to be torn and bloodied to match the placement of some of the bandages on his shoulders. She moved the equipment to the table in the corner, and pulled the new chair towards her, and sat down so she could be level with his face when he woke.

How long she'd waited to see his face, she couldn't even say. She had missed his presence the second she'd stepped on the ship that took her from Oban. He'd held a special part of her heart since the day she first saw him smile at her. So many times she'd sat at her window at home, and wondered, which shining silver dot could be his planet, or his sun.

As much as she wanted him to be with her, she never wanted it to be like this. These circumstances were terrifying to her; the Crogs obviously weren't done with him, they still had vengeance for him breaking the 'alliance.'

Sitting there, the only sound was the prince's steady, but sometimes, catching breaths. His face was returning to its normal, deep tan complexion, and the light dots on each cheek were beginning to stand out again. Eva suddenly noticed his hair, how it actually seemed longer than she recalled, laying in light waves around his shoulders. It had somehow all escaped even his headpiece, which still left that curving design that reminded her of G'dar's shell markings on his forehead. She managed to notice his exposed chest, finding it every bit as toned as she would expect it to be.

Eva blushed, and set her head in a nest created by her arms on the edge of the bed. She only disrupted her arms to send one out to pull the blanket draping around Aikka's hips up to his shoulders. She sighed deeply, and began drifting between conscious and unconscious thoughts.

And, conscious thoughts or not, her mind always wondered back to the Crogs, and what exactly had been going on before Aikka had saved her from her so-called friends. She couldn't leave the subject alone.

Nearly every time she drifted off to sleep, she re-watched that terrible race with Toros, though her fears and anxiety had twisted the image to be frighteningly different; instead of her racer being the victim of the trident, it was Aikka. She'd been brought back to the hospital room with a start each time this occurred, and it just left her more scared than before.

It felt like such a crazy thing to say, but Eva realized Aikka was lucky in this case. Dealing with those tridents could have ended so much worse. She could have lost him for good, and she may have never even known. She would have just waited around for an eternity for him to meet her again, to show her his kingdom, as he had promised her. She would have waited for ages for a reunion that would have never come.

She had come so close to losing him.

A slight stirring along with a moan brought her out of her thoughts, and she found the prince flinching a bit. His teeth were gritted, and he was arching his back slightly and in such a way as if trying to escape the wound on his torso.

"Aikka…" Eva murmured sadly, sending out her hand to find his. "He must still really be in pain…"

As Eva placed her palm around Aikka's tense fist, she was surprised to notice that it seemed to calm at her touch. She watched as the more care she showed him through this connection, the more relaxed he became. She found his eyes still shut, but she felt as though he was conscious of her being there beside him.

"Aikka…"Eva whispered again, resisting the knot in her throat.

Suddenly the hand that was in hers clasped onto her fingers, giving Eva a slight start, but nonetheless giving her hope for the prince. At least he was responsive. He gave another slight growl for the pain, but managed to finally speak.

"Molly," Eva couldn't help the smile that was spreading across her face now, nor could she help the few tears lining up in her eyes. He finally turned his head stiffly to look at her, his sapphire eyes visible to her again.

"Prince Aikka…you're awake!" Eva cried happily, resisting the urge to embrace him. Aikka sighed roughly, trying to position himself to better suit his injury.

"Yes, and I am glad to have found you," the prince told her, his blue eyes scanning her face. He suddenly frowned, and his hand left hers to stroke a particular spot on her cheek, then her chin. "Those other humans did this to you, did they not?"

Eva suddenly became aware of the evidence of her fight on her face. She grimaced slightly, here he was, injured by the blade of a Crog, and he was worrying about such small, trivial injuries.

"Yeah, but it's nothing, those will be gone by tomorrow." Eva said dismissively.

"Why were they hurting you, Molly?" Aikka pressed. Eva simply looked off.

"You were kind of right about one thing, Aikka, some humans don't have any honor." Eva smiled meekly at him. "You tell them about the best thing to ever happen to you, and not only do they not trust you enough to believe it happened, but they find every way in the world to throw it in your face."

Aikka gave her a sad look, and moved his hand to cup her star-tattooed cheek.

"I see we both have had hard times since Oban," He smiled weakly at her, before flinching at another pang from his side.

"A-Aikka!" Eva stammered, following his retreating hand with both of her own, for once at a loss of what to do. Aikka gave her an urgent look. "How much pain are you in? I'll go get a nurse," Before she could move anywhere, a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Molly, listen to me; I came here to warn you," Eva looked at him, finding him either over his latest bout, or hiding his pain very well.

"Warn me?"

"Yes. You saw my wound, correct?" He looked seriously into her crimson eyes.

"Yeah, it was made by a Crog blade, wasn't it?" Eva supplied her theory. Aikka looked at her for a second, taken aback that she'd answered his question before he had even asked it.

"You really are clever, princess. Yes, it was a Crog sword to be specific," Aikka explained, pulling the girl back to her seat and giving up at trying to prop himself up. He was feeling useless lying there like this, but the pain was too much to be denied. "My point is, the Crogs have attacked Nourasia."

Eva stared intently at him, knowing this wasn't all of the warning.

"Though my people are strong, I do fear for them. But I also have a strong fear for your life, Molly." Aikka told her seriously, his eyes full of worry.

"Me?" Eva gasped, before she put it together in her mind. "Wait, is all this just about what happened in the races?"

"Well, partly. The main reason for this war, is of course the breaking of Nourasia's so-called alliance with the Crogs." Aikka said through again gritted teeth, while he silently labeled wounds inflicted by Crog blades as the most bothersome of all. With a sigh he tried to ignore the pain and continue. "So you can easily see why there has been an attempt on my life. But I fear they may also come after you. Ultimately, it was my friendship with you that made me completely separate from them during the race. You saved me, and the galaxy, but I'm afraid it has just put you in even more danger." Aikka finished off forlornly, looking away from the girl.

"Aikka," Eva said firmly at his guilty look, and he glanced at her. "If you think for even a second that I regret having you as a friend back then or even now, then you are dead wrong."

Aikka said nothing, but beheld her with grateful blue eyes. It would surely be better for her to have never gotten involved with him and consequently the Crogs, but she didn't have a drop of regret in her for having met him. Not even after all he'd done to her and her team on the Crog's command.

"So, how are we going to kick the Crogs' butt this time?" Eva asked him almost playfully, setting her hands on her hips. Aikka couldn't help smiling at her, but his side gave him another twinge to remind him of its existence, and his smile was broken.

"Molly," Aikka said again through gritted teeth, while the human leaned over his bed in concern. "On my riding seat on G'dar, there's a knapsack. Could you bring it to me? I managed to bring something with me that will help." He suddenly remembered something, and turned to her with wide eyes. "G'dar…He's alright, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's fine, I got him to follow me here. He's in my dad's hangar right now." Eva nodded. Aikka smiled.

"I knew he liked you. He followed you, you say?" Eva nodded. "You should feel lucky, Molly, G'dar is quick to warm up to only a few." He managed a little chuckle.

"On G'dar, though, how do I get up there?" Eva suddenly wondered, recalling how tall the bug was to her. "Will he let me?"

"He should. You may need assistance though, I'm sure that humans can't jump like Nourasians can." Aikka grinned at her through some pain.

"You jump up there?" Eva gaped at him, though knowing she shouldn't be surprised; she had seen the prince do a few things with powerful jumps. "Alright, I'll go get it for ya, I'll be back quick, I promise!" Eva winked and held out a fist, recreating the pose that was special between the two of them. Aikka looked at the gesture, and smiled serenely, glad to see she remembered as well as he.

"I'll hold you to that, princess." He matched the move, letting their hands just touch, staring deeply into her eyes.

Eva blushed at both her nickname and the eyes boring into hers, and gave him one last smile before pelting out the door. Stealing down the halls and out the front lobby of the infirmary, she hopped on her bike, blasting her way to the hangar.

This was one promise that she wouldn't let anyone stop her from keeping.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Huzzah, he's awake! Now we get to get into the Aikka/Molly fluff we all love! Hope you all enjoyed it! I'll return soon!


	4. Molly and Eva

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Wow, I'm so happy at how this story is going…It's already gotten over 500 hits, and many reviews! I think that's fun considering this hasn't even been up a week! Not to mention I am having a blast writing it! Thanks to everyone who has given me info on the new series, I will be beginning my own search on the subject pretty soon here…If I find anything big I'll be sure to post it:) So this chapter isn't too eventful, but there is much fluff and everybody loves a good bit of that. X3 Onward to reviewer shout-outs!

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _lol, I love the bit about the Crogs, and I imagine they would indeed have to watch themselves with what they did to Aikka! And their eyes are awesome, they're really the only thing I like about them…also their ears are pretty cool. XD …And don't forget those blue floating bunnies! I share Jordan's exact thoughts on those little guys X3 So Kawaii…Any how, thank you so much for your compliments, I enjoy them very much! Keep reading, and enjoying it!

_Crazyvegimab: _Thanks for the search tip, I'll definitely be surfing some forums. And I like the point you made about Eva telling her friends despite whatever the government tells her, it definitely makes sense with her character! Lol…And I love the feedback on the way I write, it's very supporting! And I have to say I'm glad to have the story sounding like an actual continuation of the series, it's definitely one of the things I try for in my fics! X3 So out of curiosity, what problem was it that you were trying to figure out?

_Sekai Nerah: _Yep, I love how these two interact together, I have from episode two…So, yeah, I've kept an eye on all the little gestures they make to each other…I usually tend to analyze relationships in anime and manga like this, and I think Aikka and Molly have one of the more complex and fascinating ones, just because of all the stuff they go through, what with Aikka being pressured by the Crogs, Molly trying to convince her team that they can trust him, and Jordan from trying to shoot him down…And then there's just the fact that they live on different planets…I really don't know what it is, but I have a thing for those cross-dimensional/world relationships…for example, my favorite movie is Spirited Away! (I also have a fic going in that department too, if anyone wants to check it out )

_DBZ angel: _I'm happy that I seem to be doing them justice! X3 And yeah, I'm really updating fast on this story…It's just coming out! I already have a bunch written. My fans in the Spirited Away section are probably very mad at me, I haven't updated in over a month now, and I usually did update that particular story pretty much every week. Though I'm on the last chapter on that story, so I'm trying to make it really good, when I do manage to tear myself away from this story, lol…And the lengths of my chapters on this are evening out to my usual length for fanfics. Thank you so much for the feedback on my writing, I love to see what you guys think about my style and such!

_Star Fata: _ Everyone loves a bit of good Aikka/Molly fluff, ne? X3

_Crystal Persian: _Wait no longer, here is the update! nn

_Mew Cherry: _Thank you so much, glad you think so!

_CrystalRose727: _Thanks, and here is another offering of fluffiness:)

_Isabella of the Night: _Here is the update, and you're welcome for the review on your story, I'll be keeping up with it! ;)

_frubaforever: _hee, so much love X3 Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment!

You guys, thank you, I feel so loved! You guys are too good to me X3 lol…Enjoy! –Runs from the lawyers- I do not own Oban! There, I said it…

**--**

**--Chapter 4--**

**Molly and Eva**

**--**

Eva could see the hangar doors were still open, and shedding light out into the dimming twilight ahead, as she twisted her handle, urging the rocket seat to go faster. She made a promise to the prince, and this time there was nothing that was going to stop her from fulfilling it.

"Eva, you're back?" Koji observed from his standpoint on a ladder, having been fiddling with some wiring in the latest star racer. He caught sight of her gliding to a stop just outside of the garage, that determined, steel look on her face.

"Oh, she's on a mission again, don't get in her way." Stan said matter-of-factly, finding that famous look on her face. Koji practically leapt off of the ladder he was on, dusting off his hands and making towards Eva.

"Eva, is everything alright, the prince is doing ok isn't he?" Koji halted as he saw he make straight for the enormous bug on the other half of the hangar. "Ah, Eva, do you know how to handle that thing?"

"Don't worry, Koji, the Prince is fine…Or, well, he should be." Eva said, practically dismissing the other's comments about the beetle. Instead, she examined the bug, trying to find a way up to its back. "He asked me to get something off G'dar for him. Hey, big guy, I need to get up there," she turned to the beetle, stroking its white shell, trying to explain her situation.

"So Prince Charming's awake, huh?" Rick's deep voice came in, as he leant on the star racer, watching amusedly as Eva tried and failed to hop up on G'dar. The bug, meanwhile, was clicking curiously, but made no move to indicate any annoyance. She suddenly turned at Rick's voice, and looked at him as if calculating him into her plans.

"Rick, give me a boost," she suggested, motioning him over. Rick, however, did not look keen on getting anywhere near a gigantic beetle that seemed to like only its master and Eva.

"I think I'll pass, Little Mouse, I have some work to do," Rick smiled playfully at her, indicating the wrench in his hand. "I need all my limbs to do it, too. Sorry"

"Oh, come on, I promised him I'd be back quick, and I am not breaking another promise to him!" Eva marched over, as if she could drag him over by the ear. "You gonna help me or not?"

"I have a suggestion," Koji offered from the side, dragging something heavy along, though Eva couldn't see what it was for the reactor of the racer. Stan appeared to the aid of the other mechanic, and pulled the great, rolling ladder into view. Eva immediately lit up and tackled Koji in a hug.

"Thanks, Koji, you're a genius!" She released him quickly, and trooped off, pushing the ladder all the way.

"Ah, just a humble mechanic," Koji recited with a smile, pressing his glasses back up his nose.

"Ok, G'dar, this isn't gonna hurt you, just a ladder, okay?" Eva told the bug, a little nervous about how he'd react to an odd object being next to him.

G'dar answered the girl with a few clicks, though they were open to interpretation, at least to her. She gulped a little, suddenly finding herself wishing she could speak beetle. She got the mobile-stairway as close as she dared to the creature, and set the stops to ensure it would stay in one place, then set a foot on the first step, keeping her hands on the railing. Then she took another steady step, making sure it was a gradual thing for the bug who could quite possibly end up squashing her; a thing of irony, she knew.

Stan, Koji and Rick all watched the girl scale the ladder, seeing her nervous about the whole thing, but still determined. Reaching the top, she petted the hard outer shell of the bug, letting it know where she was, saying friendly and assuring things, telling it her plans. She looked to the riding seat, and indeed saw a knapsack that looked like it had been securely tied to the handle on the front of the thing.

Don Wei, meanwhile, had just come into the garage, just in time to find his daughter scaling onto the large beetle.

"Eva, what on Earth are you doing?!" Don called, hurrying down the stairs and onto the garage floor.

Eva turned from her job of untying the bag from its place-which indeed was very secure- to look at her father, who was now standing below alongside the other mechanics and his retired pilot of an assistant.

"I'm getting something for the prince!" She said simply, turning back to negotiate with the knot.

"Eva, get down from that bug now, before you get hurt!" Don pointed to the ground for extra effect, though his daughter wasn't able to see the emphasis.

"Trust me, dad, I know what I'm doing!" Eva called over her shoulder, tugging vehemently at the bag. "Dang, did he have to tie it so tight?!" She reached into her skirt pocket, and pulled out a small pocket knife, one she always carried with her. Whipping out the blade, she took to sawing through the plant-like fabric handles of the bag, having been decidedly defeated by the knot.

"I hope he doesn't care too much about this bag," Eva said nervously as she cut through the last handle holding the bag tight to the riding seat. She turned and headed back to the stairway, setting the knife back into her pocket, setting the bag between her teeth to utilize both of her hands on the way down the ladder.

"Nice one, Little Mouse. I guess that thing does like you," Rick congratulated her before wondering off to find work. Next to him, Don looked as if he were close to having a heart attack.

"Eva, do be more careful when you deal with that thing, I will not have my daughter killed by a _bug_." Eva rolled her eyes at her dad, though she was admittedly pleased that he worried.

"Come on, dad, like I'd _let_ myself be killed by a bug, after all I've survived." Eva undid the stops that held the ladder still, and joined by Koji and Stan, tugged the thing back to where they had found it. She then went over to give G'dar thanks for letting her up.

"His name is G'dar, by the way," Eva told her father, before turning to her rocket seat, bag still in hand.

"Wait, Eva, where are you going?" Don called after her as she revved up her engine.

"To see the prince, of course! I did make a promise to him, and this time I'm keeping it!" Eva didn't give her father enough time to reject, for she turned on her bike, heading towards the hospital wing again. Don sighed in the midst of the exhaust left by her bike.

"At this rate she won't even be here for her birthday!" Don turned back for his office, frustratingly running a hand through his graying hair.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she will be, she has what she's always wanted for her birthday, after all." Koji advised from behind a tangle of wires. Stan agreed with a nod, from his rolling chair. Don looked to his assistant for support.

"She'll be here, Don. Just let her help her prince." Don reluctantly nodded, then wondered off to his office again. He would surely be spending the night there, as Eva was sure to want to stay the night in the infirmary. He looked to his family photos, and found one with both him and teenage Eva, taken not too long after they'd returned from Oban, promising it that he'd make his own way over there later to see her.

--

Eva ran through the lobby once more, past a very confused nurse, and down the hallway to Aikka's room, flinging herself around the door jamb to look at him with bright eyes. Panting from her little run, she grinned at him.

"Got it! Was I quick, or what?" she pulled herself in, meeting his blue eyes, finding them relieved to see her, but at the same time, visibly hiding another pang. She walked purposefully to the side of his bed, sitting on the edge, and showing him her accomplishment. "You tied it so tight, I had to cut it off," She explained as he examined the torn threads of the bag's handles. He looked at her for a second before laughing it off, the best he could in his condition, anyway.

"G'dar wasn't a problem, I hope?" he asked her, undoing the fastener that probably looked more complicated to Eva than it was. It appeared to be some sort of complex knot, she grimaced to notice.

"No, of course not." Eva answered as Aikka began routing around in the bag urgently, almost as if his life depended on whatever he was seeking. "Uh, Aikka, what exactly is in there?"

"This," Aikka said, pulling out a small jar, that looked to Eva like it was made of ceramic. "This has in it, a very powerful mixture of plants and herbs from Nourasia, that helps the healing process greatly. It's like a… an ointment?" he suggested, testing out the earthen words. "It's a rare and hard thing to make, but it works wonderfully." He grinned at her, knowing that his pain was only minutes away from being conquered.

"So, you'll be better?" Eva asked excitedly, very eager indeed to think that he could be on his feet so soon.

"Yes. Though it will not completely get rid of this particular wound; wounds from Crog blades are quite dangerous and long-lasting ones, as you can imagine, but it will do an amount of good." He smiled honestly at her. "I knew if I came here without this medicine, I could very well die, and so I stole some from the palace stores on my way out. I imagine, if you hadn't brought me here straight away like you did, I would have indeed perished."

Eva looked away, trying to hide her blush. Aikka, however, tipped her chin back towards him.

"I owe you my life now, Molly. Thank you." His blue eyes seemed to twinkle in the electric lighting of the room. This only made the girl blush a deeper red.

"Yeah, well, like you said, you need to get this medicine, right? Let's get the show on the road!" Eva said playfully, wishing her cheeks weren't so hot. In answer, Aikka tried once more to shift himself into a seat, before being floored with protests from his body.

"Hey, don't do that!" Eva cried, placing a firm hand on his chest, urging him back down. He peered at her, surprised at her forwardness, but more at the touch on his chest. "Listen to your body; you're in no condition to sit up!"

"But I need to put this on…" Aikka murmured, still blushing at the hand on his chest.

"Well, be smart about it. You can't sit up, and that's clear. You can't even move without pain, can you?" she narrowed ruby eyes at him, and Aikka gaped at the girl who had just figured him out. Reluctantly, he confirmed her theory. The hand on his chest suddenly vanished, and the Nourasian saw her working her hands out of her oversized gloves.

"Just lay back down, I'll do it. Just cause you're the prince and a great racer doesn't mean you have to be tough all the time, you know." she told Aikka firmly, tossing her gloves into the same vicinity as his discarded armor before heading to the corner sink to wash those hands off. She held out a freshly washed and exposed hand, and Aikka handed her the little bottle. She gave him a grin, and sat strategically on the very edge of the bed, next to the blade wound. "Ah, I am gonna have to have you roll on your side, at least a little…" She told him quietly, regretting that he'd have to move himself either way.

Despite the regret in her voice, Aikka was ready to obey, and turned to grip the other side to the mattress and trying to maneuver himself up and onto his side. Biting back a groan, Aikka managed, with a little assistance from Eva, to settle on his side, and thankfully found it more comfortable on the majority of his body. Aside from the cuts on his shoulder, once he settled, everything was better.

"Great, you're doin' great, Aikka." Eva coached, finding the edges of the medical tape on his abdomen and prying them up. In one swift movement, she deftly tore the tape away, earning a slight start from her patient. "Sorry, it's best to just get it all at once, you know?" Aikka smiled, despite that lesson being new to him. Behind him, Eva suddenly started giggling as she settled into a better position on the edge of the bed, now that she had more room, with the prince on his side.

"I just remembered, once I did that to Jordan; he hated me for it!" She continued laughing, but kept to her task, unscrewing the lid to the jar in her hands. Aikka couldn't help but smile at that thought. "It was such a little bandage, too. I don't even remember why I did it, though," She gave one more laugh, and dipped her two forefingers into the balm, which was a light beige color, and reminded her in consistency of butter. Though it looked quite plain, it seemed to emanate its powers into her, as if it were already trying to heal her, though she wasn't even injured. Still, it managed to make her fingers tingle.

"Okay, here we go; just let me know if I'm hurting you…" Eva instructed him nervously, approaching the cut carefully and finally touching the cream to the wound that frightened her so much. She was almost afraid to touch it; it hurt her just to look at it. It seemed to go well, though; he made no move that indicated pain. She gained more confidence and finished treating the wound, watching as it seemed to heal, almost before her eyes.

"Wow, that _is_ powerful stuff," Eva's eyes widened at the mixture's effects.

"Yes, but it is rather hard to come by, the key ingredient is a rather temperamental herb," Aikka said through the slight pain that the application was bringing him. He preferred to keep his mind on the fact that it was Molly who was healing him.

Though Aikka was right in the fact that it did not heal all the way, it did manage to take a good amount of time and pain from the healing process.

"Thank you Molly, I feel much better already," Aikka smiled over his shoulder as Eva set the large gauze back around his side, pressing the tape back into place. He carefully rolled back to his previous position, and sighed, his head leaning back into the pillows. Already he could feel his body start to recuperate, just from helping that one wound.

"You want me to do the other ones?" Eva suggested, still seated at his side, her hands caught in the process of connecting the jar to its lid. Aikka looked to her, finding her face full of concern. "I mean, your shoulder looked pretty bad, too." She blushed at him, finding that his eyes were beginning to make her do so every time she looked at them. Aikka noticed the coloring in her cheeks and smiled playfully at her.

"If you wish, princess," he nodded regally to her, flashing his blue eyes in her direction. With that, Eva threw the prince a mirror image of his grin, and moved up on the bed, so she was in reach of the prince's opposite shoulder. Peeling the bandage off with less speed than she did the last time, she found a deep cut, almost to match the one on his side, but with out any evidence of a burn.

"The Crogs fight much like they race; they only give their blades that terrible power when they come in for the kill." He said grimly at her puzzled face while she observed her new target of healing.

She gave him a look of fear at that, before turning that frightened look back to her work, which she finished quickly, and watched only for a second as the cut healed quickly, leaving little more than a light brown scar on his orange-tinted tan skin. Repeating the same ritual to his other shoulder, which was not as bad as the other, Eva tightened the lid onto its counterpart, setting it aside, with the armor and her gloves. Wringing her fingers together in her lap, Eva looked away, feeling herself on the verge of tears again.

"Molly, are you alright?" Aikka gave the most effort yet at leaning off the bed to see her eyes. She turned to look at him, and seconds later leaned over, wrapping his shoulders in a hug, albeit a gentle one, given his condition. "M-Molly?" Aikka stammered, having not expected the advance, noticing that his hands were simply hanging in the air, as if not knowing what to do with themselves.

"I'm so glad you're alright…Mostly alright, anyway…" She suddenly cried into his neck. "I could have really lost you this time, and I might have never known…"

Aikka's eyes softened, and he finally returned the human's embrace, holding her around the waist, allowing her closer to him, choosing to ignore whatever protests his remaining injuries provided. He suddenly wished he'd returned the hug a year ago, when they had to say their goodbye's on Oban; the connection certainly made him feel closer than ever to her. Then again, at the same time, he really did not want to let her go, and having that feeling back then could have been problematic. Still, her shaking shoulders brought him back to realize the real gravity of the situation.

"It's alright, Molly. Everything is going to be alright. I'm fine now that I have you near and know you're safe," He told her soothingly, stroking some of her hair. "My injury will heal, but if I had lost you, that would have been too devastating of a wound to recover from."

Eva pulled back a bit, looking at the prince and revealing to him a blush. Ruby eyes met sapphire as Aikka looked at her seriously, before he noticed just how close they were to one another. An awkward pause claimed them both, and Nourasian and Earthling were at a loss of what to do or say next.

"Ahem," A voice cleared itself at the doorway, accompanied by a tapping knock on the door jamb. Both Aikka and Eva looked there, to find the racing manager and Eva's father, Don Wei standing in the doorway, a cramped sort of look on his face.

"Dad!" Eva said, pulling herself up from the Prince's embrace. The Prince, simultaneously, returned his arms to his sides. Both of the teens had deepening blushes on their faces, which Don Wei did his hardest to ignore. It was bad enough he'd walked in with them looking at each other looking at each other…like that…He preferred to think that his daughter wouldn't be spirited away to that chapter of life for at least another few years. It had been bad enough when he'd discovered her sleeping in Jordan's arms, but now he had to deal with a Prince from another planet?

"I was just wondering, Eva, what the sleeping arrangements were going to be; I presume you won't want to leave the stadium tonight, given the circumstances, correct?" Don Wei suggested, coming into the room and peering towards the prince, and acknowledging the patient with a nod.

Eva quickly looked at Aikka, who looked back to her, blue eyes questioning. Eva blushed slightly, and nodded to her father.

"I'll stay in the hangar, if I have to, but I want to stay in the area." Eva answered certainly.

"Nonsense, I'll arrange it with the nurses for them to set you up with a room." Don Wei dismissed the idea of his daughter sleeping somewhere in the garage; it was clean by many standards, but was still a garage nonetheless. And even the bunkers in the back of the place were taken by Stan and Koji. Eva smiled at her father.

"Thanks, dad," Eva got up from her seat, and gave her father a hug to show her gratitude. Aikka watched the exchange, finding it warming, but still getting used to the surprise fact that Eva's team manager was actually her father.

"Right, I will trust you two, and I will also be staying in my office tonight, if you need me, Eva." Don started for the door, before surveying the prince. "Good night to both of you."

"And to you, Sir," Aikka bowed his head respectfully, as Don turned again to the door. Footsteps faded down the hallway, and Aikka turned back to Eva. "Ah, did I say something wrong?" he asked her nervously, hoping to have not offended the man.

"Huh? Oh…No, it's just a human thing…More like a _father_ thing." Eva said in a slight grumble and looked away, blushing more. Aikka gave her a puzzled look. Eva caught that look, and sighed. "It's just this thing where fathers are really protective of their daughters when they become close…to a guy…He's just keeping an eye on you so you don't do anything he wouldn't approve of."

Aikka looked at Eva's grimacing face, finding embarrassment written all over it. She suddenly looked back at him in the silence.

"Not that I don't trust you or anything, I do, but," Eva said hurriedly. "Fathers are just usually much harder to convince."

"It's alright, Molly, I understand. I believe, it is the same on Nourasia, though I haven't any actual experience with that, as I have no sisters, and no female friends back home." Aikka explained suddenly wishing the best to those friends he did have, who were undoubtedly fighting for their lives. "It's usually a norm that the father has the responsibility to watch over his daughter and choose the best suitor. The father gives his blessing to his daughter to wed; only if he sees the suitor to be fit. If this case is anything like the Nourasian's custom, then I am sure that your father only wants the best for you."

Eva thought on it for a bit, before smiling and leaning her chin onto her folded arms on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Eva shut her eyes halfway, feeling sleepy at long last. It was beginning to get late in the evening, and it had been a big day. Aikka returned her smile, and allowed his own blue eyes to shut lightly. Suddenly, he recalled what he had wondered on just a little earlier, and not for the first time.

"Ah, Eva," he said uncertainly, getting the attention of the girl he always knew as Molly. "Pardon my intrusion, but, when exactly did you become 'Eva'? Or, should I ask that of the name 'Molly'?"

Eva blinked at him once, then remembered; the prince had never gotten an explanation on her double life. Sighing, and looking sheepishly at his enquiring look, Eva sat back up in her seat. She couldn't escape those eyes that were leading her to wonder if he was mad about her lying to him, and every other being she'd become close to during Oban.

"The truth is, I've always been Eva. Don Wei has always been my father. And my mother, well, she was kind of the whole catalyst that led me to Oban." Eva looked at her hands as she spoke, being too nervous to look into the sapphire eyes of the Nourasian. "I can explain everything, really, I can, I have a reason for lying…"

"I am listening," Aikka told her gently.

Eva looked at him again, finding focused blue eyes watching her every movement, making her wonder what he was truly feeling about the lie she lived on Alwas and Oban. The last thing she wanted right now was for him to be mad at her. They were finally together, and she just wanted things to get better from where they already were. Things had been rocky during the races because of the pressure the Crogs had put on Aikka, the jealous impulses of her gunner, and she didn't want things to get back to that off and on friendship now that she had him safe and beside her.

So, with a deep breath, Eva told him her story. From the beginning, that one fateful day that claimed her mother's life, onto the one not too long after when her father left her at the Stern Boarding School, all the way up to her escape and her stowing away as the mechanic called Molly on the Earth team's module, all to show her father who she really was and her trying to make them a family again by means of the Ultimate prize. By the time she actually finished the story, it was all the more later into the night, and Aikka was looking at her thoughtfully.

"I knew there was some reason for your withdrawing from the final race," He observed quietly, thinking himself on how much of a disappointment it must have been for her. No, not disappointment; _heartbreak_, as if she had lost her mother all over again.

"Yeah, I guess I haven't been honest with you from the beginning, really…" Eva said, hugging her knees to her chest and watching for the prince's expression.

"Molly, I understand your motives behind all that, and I am not angry. You did what you thought was best at the time." Aikka told her assuredly, giving her one of his smiles, and pulling himself a bit into a seat, finding it so much easier, now that he'd given his wounds time and healing on account of the Nourasian balm. He then looked at her curiously. "I hope you do not mind my calling you Molly, though," he told her questioningly. Eva simply smiled back at him, letting her knees away from her face, just glad to have the confession over with and survived.

"No, I don't, it's practically as much my name as Eva is!" she laughed. Aikka gave a little laugh with her.

"That's good, because I think you will always be Molly to me," He told her warmly, his blue eyes shining at her again. "Though Eva is also a beautiful name…" At this, Eva's face turned at least a few shades pinker. She flashed her crimson eyes at him playfully as she got up and grabbed her gloves off of the cabinet behind her.

"Well, then I guess you can call me by both names!" she said playfully, pulling her gloves on over her hands. "But, I'm gonna go to bed, and you should too, you need rest. Tomorrow is kind of a big day," She smiled. Aikka gave her a questioning look. Then that look turned to a thoughtful one, and he figured it out on his own, using the aspects that her story had given him.

"It is your birthday?" Eva gave him a wide eyed look, then smiled. She knew her prince was clever.

"Yep, that's the one!" she told him proudly. "I'm gonna be sixteen tomorrow!"

"Well, then I am glad I am here for that occasion," Aikka told her serenely. "I look forward to celebrating with you."

"Really?" Eva's persistent blush returned once more as she beamed at him. She suddenly looked concerned. "Will…will you be well enough by tomorrow?"

"I imagine I will, Princess," Aikka nodded to her. Eva couldn't contain her happiness, and simply leapt in the air; Prince Aikka, a friend who she was close to considering long lost, was there, and for her birthday!

"Alright! Now get to sleep, prince, I'll be expecting you tomorrow!" She threw him a wink along with a peace sign as she leaned on the door jamb. As the prince gave her one last smile for the night, Eva dimmed the lights, and gave him a wave. "Night, then, I'll be down the hall, I think." She told him, actually unsure of which room exactly her father had gotten for her.

"And to you, princess," Aikka bade her, watching her smile as she pulled the door shut behind her. He couldn't help but smile after her as well; he'd never felt closer to anyone before. Not even his relationship with his parents compared to his and Eva's friendship; he got along well with them, but Eva never expected anything of him that he couldn't offer her.

With a look out the window, he recalled the distress he'd been lucky enough to escape…unlike his friends and family. It remained, though he was reunited with Eva, though tomorrow would bring celebration of her birthday, though he was suddenly happier than he had been since Oban, that his planet was at war, and needed help. He'd come to Earth to warn Eva, and warn her he had; so what came next? Would he be forced to leave her again the next day as soon as he'd celebrated with her? He had a duty, after all, to his kingdom.

But he also had the duty, as a friend, to protect Eva. Not only that, he wouldn't dream of abandoning her, considering the circumstances. It was more than duty as a friend that kept part of him in this rut. He knew she was safe right then, and he didn't want to leave her, only to return later to find that she was hurt, or worse. He could never live with that.

Aikka turned gently onto his uninjured side, and urged his brain to stop trying to sort things out, just yet. There were things to be done tomorrow, and then he could contemplate how to defend both his kingdom and his princess. Lidding his cerulean eyes, he sought sleep, not having to look far.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Woot, gotta love the fluff X3 So, next chapter will look a little more of what Aikka actually escaped from on Nourasia! Woot, flash back chapter… Anyway, see you next update! Lots of love to all who are reading this!


	5. Visions of the Vengeful

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **WOW I am tired…I guess that sort of thing happens when you don't sleep for nearly 18 hours…XD Between all the reading and drawing and throwing newspapers in the morning on Sunday(which I hate doing with a passion…) I've barely slept in the last 18 hours…Probably not good for me. So, I just thought I'd get this up and out to the world before I literally fall out of my chair for passing out. So, here we go, I'll begin with some thank you's to the reviews!

_Crazyvegimab: _Oh, yes, 'Bonds', I have been keeping up on that, I likes it so far! I should really start reviewing more stories again…Anyway, Thanks for the compliment on the portal idea, as well as the other little ideas I had. I was thinking the same thing about the prince having interplanetary knowledge, but I was figuring that, seeing as how they aren't a technological race, they probably wouldn't have any shuttles or something like that…Even if they did, I don't think it would have been compatible with the situation he was in to go off and find the next ship for Earth. An explanation of said situation is here now in the form of an update:D

_Spellcaster Hikaru:_ lol.:ish glomped:.I totally agree; we should totally lock those two up together, see what happens. .:shifty eyes:. And yep, the Crogs' eyes have ruined their reputation. After seeing some rather side-splitting pictures on DeviantArt, I don't think that I'd be able to take 'em seriously either! They're kind of cute when they're not, you know, trying to kill one of the other racers, gloating about their conquests, and towering menacingly above you due to their height …XD And I loved the line in the show, during the whole floating bunny scene where Eva says "I was trying to find Jordan a friend," that whole scene cracked me up…XD

_Shrouded View: _ 0.0 Wow, I'm honored! And I do feel the fandom…and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! X3 You guys really are too good to me! Here's the update, enjoy! Thank you so much!

_DBZ angel: _Ah, video games, they're wonderful, no? Never played Diablo 3…for the PC, right? My little machine is a hunk of junk D lol…And all I can say about Aikka's gift is, we shall see…no spoilers shall I speak .:zips the lip:. :)

_Sekai Nerah: _And I am glad to hear my work is being enjoyed:) My personal favorite was when she insisted that she do it for him; the image of his reaction in my head was just priceless! Lol, here's the next bit for you!

_DramaQueen of the Moon: _And Thank you for the great review! .:Bows, Aikka-style:.

_Star Fata: _Thank you, and it's all good, being an avid A/M fan, there are also some J/M fics that catch my fancy as well, I totally know what you mean. Thanks again! Enjoy the update:)

_Crystal Persian: _Long live Aikka/Molly fluffiness!! Thank you and here's the new chapter!

_Frubaforever: _Here it is, and thank you for your reviews! X3

**--**

**--Chapter 5--**

**Visions of the Vengeful**

**--**

The silver moonlight that poured into the hospital that night found the foreign prince Aikka in a bit of a struggle for comfort. This was to be expected, given not only his injuries, but the events that had caused those injuries. His tumultuous sleep was only hindered by his involuntary restraints that kept him from upsetting his remaining wounds anymore. Nonetheless, the prince couldn't help but toss and turn within his limits.

And his dreams weren't so much nightmares as they were visions of what had already happened;

--

He had been dropping off to sleep when it happened; a great rumbling that shook the entire palace brought him straight out of whatever sleep he was about to enter. Sitting suddenly bolt upright, he could hear the panicked cries from hallways away from his chambers, and light suddenly flashed in from the windows. Pulling the covers away from his legs in a hurry and grabbing his dagger instinctively from his bedside table, Aikka ran to see out those windows, finding a terrifying sight.

Crog ships, not unlike the ones that both Colonel Toros and General Kross had used in the races, were lined up before the palace, terrorizing the establishment with lasers. Some even resorted to terrorizing the city below. In the sky above, there was a harsh red glow, which could only signify that there was a Crog army at the Nourasian's door.

"No…" Aikka murmured, finding himself transfixed as the chaos continued. He suddenly grew angry, not only at the destruction of his kingdom, but at the destruction of a sort of truce between Nourasians and Crogs since the race of Oban. Though he knew he shouldn't have expected much of them; they were the Crogs, of course. "Those lying bastards!" he shouted to no one, before gasping to notice a certain flash of lasers' destination.

Aikka managed to leap away from the window just in time as the lights cut through the stone of his outer walls, as well as his windows, but found his room to be a sudden location of a rockslide, or so it seemed.

Lifting his head from the shelter of his arms, that were now scratched and torn from taking the hits of the falling rubble, Aikka peered at the damage as the lasers continued elsewhere. Thankfully, his wardrobe had not been hit; the wardrobe where he kept not only his clothes, but his enchanted bow and arrows. He jolted himself out of his position among the rubble, and stumbled over all of it that filled his room.

Reaching his wardrobe without too much trouble, the prince swung open the doors, finding his weaponry ready for battle, as well as his shoulder and chest guards. He drug all that out onto the floor, and went immediately for a shirt, finding his preferred outfit, the sleeveless number; simple and quick to get into. He tossed it on over his bare chest, and wrapped his belt around his waist, his armor onto his torso, and wasted no time in attaching his dagger and his quiver of arrows to these articles. Finally grabbing an arrow out of his quiver and grabbing his bow, he was ready for combat; he didn't bother with the fact that he had his sleeping trousers on and an absence of shoes, nor did he even try to trouble with his hair that was currently free underneath his headpiece and a bit sleep-mussed.

"Well, well, the prince is already up, it seems," A deep, and terrifyingly familiar voice sounded from behind the prince.

Aikka turned swiftly, the arrow in his hand already being set on the string of his bow. He aimed with his blue eyes at the Crog who now stood upon all the rubble in his chambers, glaring down at the Nourasian heir through eyes that were no more than narrow slits, carrying in his large hand a sword.

"Kross." Aikka growled, only steadying his aim on the Crog's general. "Losing a race seems to me a poor excuse for bringing an attack to my kingdom," Aikka pulled his arrow back a little more on his bow; One wrong move from Kross, and he would feel the sting of Nourasian magic. Kross simply laughed; it was a deep, hollow sound to the prince.

"That is only a part in the reason I have led my troops here in this surprise attack, Aikka." Kross told the Nourasian, taking a few steps forward on the stone rubble laying at his feet. Aikka took a matching step back, not taking his eyes off the Crog. "I am personally here, because a certain prince did not keep his word. Not only that, but he had the _gall_ to escape with his life after being shot down in the final race!" Aikka sensed Kross growing more indignant with each word. So, this was a battle for revenge.

"Why involve my people in a vendetta against me, Kross?" Aikka shouted at him. "This fight of yours is quite obviously with me, you would do well to leave them out of this!" Kross laughed at the young Nourasian again.

"Have you never heard the phrase, 'all is fair in love and war,' prince?" Kross's eye narrowed again, and his voice suddenly grew hushed. "However, perhaps you are right; it was not your people who coaxed you onto the wrong side during that race,"

Aikka knew there was more chaos ensuing outside his room, but suddenly everything of the sense was lost to him. He couldn't possibly mean…

"What are you talking about?" Aikka growled, deciding to bite, for now. Kross simply laughed that terrible laugh again. His unscarred eye looked to the prince as nothing more than a thin yellow line.

"You don't know? Perhaps you aren't as clever as your father prided you as being," Aikka growled impatiently; he had to know, he had to confirm his fears, be it for better or worse. "That human girl, the pilot from Earth; you were too close to her during the race in its entirety. If you hadn't formed a relationship with her, you would have kept your alliance to the Crogs, and the Earth team would have been eliminated far before the races on Oban. You would not have the anger of the Crogs riding on your shoulders, nor the shoulders of your people, and I would have claimed the Ultimate Prize for myself."

"Even if the Earth team and I had not rallied together, I alone would never have let you claim the Avatar's throne, for the good of the entire galaxy!" Aikka threw back brazenly, earning a growl from Kross. His sword suddenly shifted in his hand, and the other, free hand suddenly flew across Aikka's vision, knocking his bow and arrow effortlessly away. The prince whipped his dagger from his sheath just in time to block the downward swing of the large Crog blade, though it proved immediately to be a formidable weapon to be up against, much more when it was wielded by its Crog owner. While Aikka struggled to keep the blade away from him, Kross glared down at him.

"I thought I'd leave you alive long enough to torture you with this information, young prince, but I think I'd rather kill you now for your shameless impudence." Kross growled, pressing his blade ever harder onto the prince's dagger, feeling the Nourasian start to buckle beneath the force. Yellow, menacing eyes met Aikka's fiery blue ones, and the Crog inwardly grinned. "I'll let you take this information to your grave; Your little _Princess_ is next, Aikka."

Aikka's eyes flashed with something, and Kross was delighted to see it as fear. Then the fear gave way to fury. No, he would never let Kross hurt her, he'd kill him long before he got the chance. He suddenly pushed back against the Crog with more strength than ever before, and was able to free himself, only to have Kross's sword come back again, this time meeting his shoulder, with hard enough of a swing to cut through his armor. Wincing, but ignoring his wound for now, he dove for his bow and arrow, still discarded due to Kross. Before the Crog could catch up with the agile Nourasian, the arrow was set upon the string once more, and Aikka was chanting his prayer. Blue ribbons of light appeared, absorbing quickly into the glowing blue tip of the arrow.

"_Un sekai narama kubaara!_" The prince let his arrow sail away through the blue ring and the iridescent light the incantation had created, and watched it intently as it collided with Kross in the torso, sending him straight back and into an already crumbling wall of his room. Aikka leapt backwards as the ceiling collapsed with the wall, all of the rubble landing on Kross himself.

Aikka grinned to himself through his injury, though he knew it would take much more than that to take down the Crog general. Nonetheless, it would do for now, he needed to get out of there, or be killed before he could do anything for Molly. There was no way he was going to let the Crogs get to her first. And so, sheathing his dagger and readying another arrow, the prince took to the hallways, finding them clouded with dust from all of the chaotic attacks. Some servants ran here and there, but Aikka was relieved to not find any more Crogs wondering around, at least not yet.

He headed down a certain series of hallways, suddenly glad that the library was so close to his room. He entered with little problem, and found the cavernous room to be untouched as of yet by the invasion. In the middle of the room stood a podium, supporting a glowing blue orb marked in Nourasian runes. Looking around as he went, arrow still prepped and on his bow, Aikka strode to the orb, and reluctantly took a hand off his weapon in favor of placing it onto the orb.

"Search for interplanetary travel," He told the sphere quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear.

Beneath his hand, the orb began to swirl mistily, in search of a proper spell to aid him. After giving him some useless results discussing the other-worldly development of space travel devices, such as shuttles, ships and whatever other things of the subject that were of no use to him in the present situation, it summoned a spell book, one he hadn't yet read in his studies. The pages began flipping quickly before him, and landed on one page, one page that the prince took no hesitance in reading from top to bottom.

"Yes, this will do," Aikka said to no one, as he reread it, taking it in to his memory. The book seemed to disappear back to whence it came with his words, in a glimmering blue light.

When he emerged from the library, his arrow was poised again, which he found was a good thing; though the corridor outside had been rather uneventful on his way in, now that was not the case. Fellow Nourasians, undoubtedly resident guards, servants and maids even, fled from the end of the hall that Aikka sensed as the main area of damage. Looking that way now, he saw a small group of Crogs, each equipped with those swords, and some with blades equipped to their arms as well.

Standing into the line with some guards, he readied another arrow along with the one already in his hand.

"Aim for the first's chest!" He commanded the line of Nourasians with him, before chanting his spell along with them. He watched as all of the arrows flew true to the first Crog, all of them hitting him square in the chest, and sending him even further back than Kross had, and into his companions along the way.

The guards now took over, telling the prince to find safety as Aikka began down the hallway behind them. He bade them luck, but did not head for safety; He was going to Earth, even if he had to fight through an army of Crogs to do it. He only needed G'dar, and everything could be in motion…

As he tore down the west wing stairs, Aikka noted that the area seemed to be untouched, as of yet. He suddenly wondered, though, where and how his parents were, and if they had gotten to safety. Their chambers being on the other side of the current Crog occupation, Aikka didn't dare stray from his Earthbound path to find them. They did have many a guard ready in the event of an attack, but he still couldn't say for sure if he thought them safe. He didn't have too much time to dwell on this, however, as a hum to his right caught his attention as he came off the last step in the loosely spiraling stairwell.

Aikka let out a cry as he felt it slice through his side, searing into his flesh as it went. It was probably one of the single-worst physical sensation that he had ever experienced. He saw blood now, more blood than had come from his shoulder back with Kross, and he could nearly smell the scent of singed flesh and linen. He somehow managed to keep a hold on his bow, but his readied arrow was abandoned by his left hand in favor of the new wound that curved around the side of his abdomen. He managed to plow on past the bottom of the stairs, due to his momentum, but came to rest on his knees. Looking back at his attacker, he feared to see Kross once more. Instead, he found a different Crog, with a similar sword raised, and glowing yellow, a sign of the Crogs' real power having been activated. The blood on that part of the blade that was pure energy, seemed to nearly boil with the heat and evaporate with a deep hiss. Watching this proudly, were the narrowed eyes of Toros, former colonel of the Crog Imperium.

Aikka struggled to calm his body as it flustered from the attack, watching as Toros continued viewing the dissipating, hissing blood on his sword as if it were the most intriguing thing in the galaxy.

"It has been too long, Prince Aikka," Toros hissed along with his sword. "Too long have I been ousted from my rightful place in the Crog ranks, and too long have I not had my revenge for my loss!"

"Do not blame me if you could not win a simple race, Toros!" Aikka yelled back, biting back the pain fleeting through him. At that, the energized sword took another swing towards the prince, this time in a downward fashion.

Aikka managed to dodge it just in time, though the corner hem of his night pants was not quite so lucky. Still, the sword was now wedged into the stone ground, and that gave Aikka a lead. A meager one, but one he decided to take nonetheless.

Toros growled as he tried tugging his sword from the ground, finding the prince fleeing.

"Do as you are told for once, Nourasian, and accept your retribution!" Aikka heard the angered Crog behind him shout. He suddenly turned about, finding the large alien close to winning the fight with his blade. When Toros got it free, he'd likely pursue the prince, and Aikka, in turn, was in no condition to outrun him, fast though he was. A full grown Crog was a chore to outrun when one was in perfect condition anyway. There had to be a way to buy time.

Aikka recalled that the walls of his chamber had provided a worthy block from Kross, and calculated the scenario into his surroundings; the stone ceiling seemed, though far from the main conflict, a bit cracked and affected nonetheless, and there was enough ornamental, stone dressings on the wall to aid his cause. There was even a thick support beam placed well; near Toros himself and supporting the stairs. Even the stairs themselves were made of stone. Aikka had plenty of stone to work with. Though it'd mean more destruction of his palace, possibly even a collapse of the west end of the entire place. Still, the destruction of a rebuildable building was far beyond preferable to the prince than the destruction of one of his greatest friends. He never thought twice before sending this time a triple shot into the ceiling, wall and support beam.

Toros freed his blade just in time to notice the spiderweb of jolting cracks forming on all sides of the hallway, results of Aikka's burst shots. Rock started to fall around him as he caught Aikka's look, a solid glare of blue. He was hunched slightly over, blood pooling in his palm and trailing through his fingers at his side, but his face remained steel under the layer of sweat beads.

"You foolish Nourasian, you think this will stop me?" Toros's eyes seemed to slant slightly upward, as if in amusement, as he then proceeded to slice through some rock with his blade.

Aikka moved away from the advancing Crog, taking calculating steps. He knew this was going to stop him, if only for a while. The creators had smiled on him in this case, and the cracks in the ceiling seemed to form to his exact hopes. Taking a glance to the vaulted ceiling above, the cracks were giving way, and even the carved support beam of the stairs was crumbling perfectly towards Toros.

The wall opposite the stairs went first, and took the ceiling with it, accordingly. Toros hadn't even the time to notice the largest mass of stone dropping almost directly above him, for the vendetta that drove him closer to Aikka. Aikka stood stark in his spot, letting Toros bait himself into the prince's trap.

Aikka finally stepped back, as Toros's charging figure was overtaken by a stone chunk from the ceiling and a great cloud of dust. Coughing a bit to regain himself from that cloud, Aikka saw his plan was successful; Toros was lost under not only the large boulder from the ceiling, but from the beam that was crumbling down as well. The rocks gave a slight shift, but nothing emerged.

Aikka would have gave a sigh of relief, if the hallway around him hadn't decided to keep crumbling, even moving more towards him, falling around him. And he still had one last stop between himself and G'dar. As a miracle would have it, he was just steps away from the wing's pantry of medicines, strategically placed near the exit to the race stables.

So, dodging the rocks nimbly, only being rocked by a few that brought him bruises, even a jagged cut on his uninjured shoulder, he reached the cabinet, finding both what he needed and a convenient medicine bag. Shoving his target remedy in amongst the other unknown items of healing, Aikka secured the traditional knot fastener and bolted under more rocks that wished him superficial harm, and finally to the broad doors that led onto the bridge that would lead him to his escape.

A shooting pain emanated from his side, and Aikka stumbled rather than walked into the darkened bridge way, finding his view of the ground to be not only hazy, but doubled.

--

The white tiled ceiling of the hospital room met Prince Aikka's eyes as he awoke the next morning at dawn, having been drawn out with corresponding pangs from his injury. Though it was not as drastic a pain as it had been in his dream, it had brought him back to Earth with a gasp.

"Molly," Aikka whispered softly after letting his breath catch up with him, after asserting to himself that he was safe, and more importantly, Eva was safe, and she had been warned.

For the moment, everything was fine.

--

Eva rose the next day in reasonably high spirits, as would be expected for any girl on her birthday. Today she actually had something to look forward to, she had, not only her father, whom she wanted to celebrate her birthday with for the past ten years, but a group of friends, of some the truest friends she ever had or could ever wish for. They'd all been to Hell and back, and today was her birthday, and they were to be there for it. It almost seemed as if it were a dream.

There was of course, one friend who had especially been to Hell with her, but one who could not come. He undoubtedly had business in the galaxy to attend to.

Eva preferred, though, to not dwell on what was lost, for with coming so close to losing Aikka, she'd been given a bit of a new perspective on things; having come so close to losing him, seeing him and knowing he was there was more like gaining him. She'd been given a blessing to have him there and alive. To say nothing of her father, another gain this year. Eva had plenty to be thankful for, even if there was one attendant missing from her party. Besides, perhaps the Avatar would be sending her well wishes despite not being there; she didn't know how much of a tab he was required to keep on all the planets.

How much of a tab was he keeping on Nourasia, then?

Eva shook her head; war thoughts were for later. She could figure out what could be done for the prince's planet later, but now she had to get herself dressed, and go to check on said prince. So, with that, she rose from her seat on the bed, rubbing out all the sleep from her eyes as she pulled on her skirt.

Her attention then turned to her white uniform top, and she hesitated; it still had Aikka's blood on it. That was no way to attend your birthday party, with one of your best friend's blood spilt on it!

Eva looked around hopelessly, as if there'd be a closet full of her shirts standing around somewhere. Well, there were extra T-shirts in the hangar, and usually they weren't too smudged with oil. So, with that plan in mind, Eva leaned into her bloodstained shirt, only for the sake of presenting herself with decent cover.

She decided to pull on her uniform's over shirt, which had been tied around her waist during the ordeal the previous day and was untouched by the red, and buttoned it up to hide the soiled fabric underneath it. She smiled at her reflection in the dresser mirror, combed through a bit of her hair with her fingers, and headed for the door.

Proceeding into the hallway, bidding a nurse hello and thanks for her bed, she headed next door, giving a solid knock to announce herself to the prince.

"Hey, can I come in?" The door was still open by an inch, so she peeked onto the bed to see if he was there. The bed inside was empty, as far as she could tell.

"You may," Aikka's voice told her from somewhere inside, though Eva knew it wasn't the bed.

Slowly pushing the door inward, she found the Nourasian looking out the window, his hands busy in his hair, wrestling with both his locks and his head piece. Illuminated by the rising sun, the prince turned to her, seeming to wear a halo of light along with his smile. The golden light only seemed to compliment the dark shade of his lithe chest, and it was enough to make Eva stop in her tracks and stare, though she was able to break herself out of it before the prince would notice.

"Uh, great day, isn't it?" Eva said with a grin, coming more into the room and trying not to focus on how the lighting complimented the prince before her.

"Indeed," Aikka nodded while his hand maneuvered his front ponytail to conjoin with the middle, creating a sort of ongoing tail that ran down the frame of his headpiece. Now that his hair was in perspective for her, the more it was confirmed; his hair was definitely longer now. "I must say, Earth does have a vibrant sunrise, it was rather enjoyable to watch."

"Ah, yeah, but some of it is just pollution. It's kind of sad, really. We've had that problem for a while." Eva said with a shrug. Aikka looked at her oddly.

"Pollution? In the air?" he asked her, his hands working in the last of his ponytails.

"Yeah, it comes from our cars, our factories…We've been working on getting rid of it for years, though, and I'm told it isn't as bad as it used to be…" Eva explained. Before she had any chance to go on, however, she saw Aikka wince as he stretched his arm up in the wrong way, though he did a job to hide it. She met his blue eyes with a look that said it all; telling him not to overdo anything. He looked away again, a bit sheepishly, but managed to finish the last part of his hair, letting the end trail down to just meet with his shoulders. He looked back at her when he sensed her gaze on him, and found her to be looking at his hair, taking it in.

"You like my new way of styling, do you?" he told her playfully, watching as she came back with a start. Aikka chuckled at her reaction, and Eva blushed; she did indeed like it. It made him look all the more mature than he had looked back during the races. And the shining auburn tail that hung from the last hole in his headpiece only complimented his image.

"Come on, Dad's probably expecting me at the hangar," Eva decided to say, and she took towards the exit. Aikka paused, and collected his belongings from the cabinet in the corner before following her.

"Ah, Molly," Aikka said suddenly, making the girl turn in the doorway. "I wonder, what happened to my shirt?" He asked her curiously.

"I think they threw it away, it was really…dirty." Eva looked away, hating how much the subject of blood kept coming up. Aikka didn't really look disappointed over the loss of his garment, really, he looked to Eva more like he was thinking. "Come on, I need a new shirt myself, and we got some extra stuff in the hangar," She grabbed the thoughtful prince by the hand, dragging him out into the hallway, to be stopped by a nurse who was quite obviously still astounded with the prince's recovery, having checked in on him earlier in the morning.

"Still, if you have any pain, you should at least rest immediately, Prince! And don't hesitate to come back if you need to!" She gave him a sort of curtsy, and if the prince's escort didn't know better, a blush, as Eva managed to get them out the hall and into the lobby. Great, now the prince had fangirls…

"Thanks for the rooms!" Eva waved to the head nurse on her way out the door, still towing the only half-aware Aikka along. "Oh, good, she's still here,"

Aikka found himself next to Eva, at the bottom of a tall stand, which seemed to him to be bleachers. It seemed also to form a ring, judging by the curvature of the structure. Just down the curve, were some hangars, one dominating the others in its size.

"It's a racing stadium," Eva supplied to him as he continued taking the immense proportions in. Looking at her, he suddenly found her aboard that mini-racer, as it seemed to him. Now looking at it, he knew it wasn't the exact model she had driven on Alwas, and was decorated in designs reminiscent of her former racer. She looked at him expectantly, and then patted the seat behind her. "Well? Get on!"

Aikka looked at her oddly; he hadn't expected this.

"I've never been on such a device," he told her nervously. Eva grinned.

"Yeah, you have. Just yesterday. You were unconscious, though. It should be easier to drive with you behind me rather than in front," she told him with a laugh. Aikka's look of apprehension suddenly turned to amazement.

"You brought me here on this? How could you have managed that?" Eva smiled, and supplied the strategy she had used the previous day, standing oddly on the rocket seat to demonstrate. Aikka regarded her warmly; how lucky he was to have her as a friend.

"So, you getting on, or you walking to my dad's hangar?" Eva pulled him out of his grateful reverie. He nodded a little hesitantly, but mimicked her current seating on it, taking the extending passenger seat. "I'd hang on, if I were you, Aikka," Eva warned, kicking at a pedal to wake the thing up. Aikka obeyed, wrapping his free hand around her waist, with a faint blush, finding it as the only way for him to hang on. She eased forward, but soon zoomed off down the way towards the hangar.

Aikka found the whole experience new; he'd never ridden anything besides the beetles of his home world, mainly G'dar, much less a mechanical object like this. With the momentum he seemed to slip a little away from her, so he compensated, holding her close with one arm while the other clutched his belongings between his chest and her back. Though it was new to him, it wasn't exactly a terrible feeling, riding on this thing, and he actually started to enjoy it after a few seconds of getting used to it. He still had the feeling of wind rushing through his hair that he always had on G'dar, and now Eva's hair seemed to flow behind her as well, tickling his face, giving him a scent that smelt like lavender; and though he didn't know it as lavender, he still enjoyed it being so close to him. The scent actually seemed to take away whatever anxiety had been left over from the recollection he'd had only just earlier.

Before long, though, the ride was over, and they were in front of the hangar. Prince Aikka suddenly found himself wishing for another ride, even as he dismounted.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Gyah…so tired... the fluffiness, I hope you enjoyed it, though there was less of it this time around. And I also hope my description on Aikka's new hair-do was done well enough…It's one of those things where, I know how it is in my head, but getting out in the right words is a bit harder…I have a drawing of it though! Lol…Maybe I'll someday get it onto DeviantArt, even though I would have to actually take a photo of the drawing itself as I don't have a working scanner…

Oh, yeah, and I was gonna mention, I found the OSR official forum, and I actually registered for it, but I haven't gotten m confirmation email back yet…augh…well, I also found the interview they posted there with Savin-sensei, I was so happy the whole time I read it. T'was very enlightening! And I'm hopin' he goes for a sequel, but that's just me…or maybe a movie-sequel thing…I'm sure I'm not the only one who hasn't had enough of Aikka!

Anyway…More coming soon, don't wonder off too far! Love ya's!


	6. Guiding G'dar

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Hello, everyone, and happy Valentines Day, or Single's Awareness Day, depending on how you look at it…-nervous laughter- Either way, I brought some more fluffiness for the occasion(and yes, I do know that I'm about two days late on the Valentine's greeting! Lol) Anyway, I am seriously just having a grand old time writing all this fluff, this chapter I'm playing around with the two of them taking a ride on G'dar, a concept I have always liked, especially his teaching of how to guide the bug. Just a cute idea I had to get out there. I guess it really comes from episode 16, I loved how Aikka saw Jordan and Molly over on their own ledge and gets that (adorable!) little smile on his face before inviting her with him, even if Jordan did come along and mess with their 'date'. Gah, he made me so angry when he shoved Aikka to the ground when Molly was getting carried away by a rock! D Oo I also apologize to any who haven't seen episode 16 and are now utterly confused due to my rambling…

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _An intriguing question, who _would_ win? I say we do put them in a room and let them duke it out…and stand way the hell back, as there are sure to be lasers and such involved…lol…Right after that, we can go and check on Aikka and Molly's room, see what fluffy goodness is commencing…And I think I know why you like Toros better; it could be that he has the use of both eyes, and is therefore able to do the silly expressions that we pride the Crogs for! OO

_Shrouded View: _Sweet, I love reading a story that can put you in the story, so I am doubly glad that I am accomplishing that myself! –gives thank you huggles- I wuv Aikka's hair too…-plays with it- o.o And actually, after reading your review initially, I actually went and added another doodle to my Aikka page that has his hair down, so that one's for you, my friend! But, I have created an account on DA, however, I just need to teach my digital camera to obey me(my boyfriend gave it to me recently, so I really don't have a clue as to how to use it yet) and seeing as how I don't have a scanner, it's my only link between my drawings and the interweb. So, after I win some battles with the little device of evil, Aikka will be the first thing in my account!

_Sekai Nerah: _Goodies, I'm glad I got that out well enough…but like I said to Shrouded View, once I master the use of my camera, the hairstyle will be in Deviant Art for all to see! I think I actually need to re-register for the official forum, cause I have yet to get my confirmation E-mail…This happens to me a lot, I think I'm cursed…It actually took me several tries to successfully switch E-mail addresses on this site, too…

_Crazyvegimab: _Thank you so much for the compliment, and I read 'Rejection, Rejection, Rejection,' and I liked it a lot! And on my recent venturing on Deviant Art, I saw a bunch of your stuff! I especially liked one which had all those different leaves, with Aikka, Jordan and Molly's faces in the leaves themselves. Really liked that one. If you hear from anyone on there in the future named -KyokoMari-, that would be me!

_Isabella of the Night: _So glad you love it, and here is the next update!

_Frubaforever: _Yes, poor Aikka; he is given nightmares for the sake of plot development, lol… here's that update!

_Crystal Persian: _Anything I can clear up? I'd be glad to! Thank you to you as well, here's a chapter,

_Jess Ishtar: _Yay, another reviewer! Thank you and hope to hear from you again!

Oh! By the way, I'm so happy to announce that this story has now gotten over 1100 hits!! OMG, happy flails… Sweet, I am loving the response to this story…which is only mine in plot and the OCs that will pop in later! –runs from the swarm of ravenous lawyers-

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**--Chapter 6--**

**Guiding G'dar**

**--**

The large garage doors to the place were partially opened, signaling to Eva, who knew the 'code' of the doors, that today was a raceless one, one that was left more to maintenance of the racers, or, on this day in particular, her birthday. Though that was what she was thinking, she thought it was too good to be true, as she pulled her rocket seat into the place with her.

Aikka followed her in, and immediately spotted G'dar off on the left wall of the place, thanks to an excited shriek from the creature. Aikka smiled, and headed off to greet his mount, as the large beetle took a few steps to match. The Nourasian was glad and relieved to notice that his bow was where he left it; crooked over his riding seat.

"You've taken good care of my things, G'dar," Aikka thanked the beetle, stroking him on the white outer shell, as G'dar gave something that Eva thought could be a purr, or at least the beetle equivalent. The rumbling sort of cackle gave the girl a smile, as she leaned her rocket seat up against a wall, and gave a once over of the garage; the star racers were still covered for the night, so that signaled to her that Stan, Koji and the mechanics that worked in the place weren't there yet. The place looked deserted, even though she knew her father was just up the side stairs and in his office, and that Koji and Stan were in the adjacent bunk room.

"I guess we're here early," Eva shrugged to the prince, who smiled back as he continued petting G'dar. He suddenly looked toward the beetle, who was still enjoying the accompaniment of his master, and smiled again.

"Molly, since we are early," Eva looked at him questioningly from her station of examining one thruster of the nearest star racer. "Would you like to take a ride on G'dar? I would like to explore the plant life; I'm sure he is hungry. And I am eager to see more of Earth, I hadn't the time yesterday."

Eva's tattooed face immediately lit up, and the thruster before her was forgotten. She'd only been on G'dar on one occasion, but she found it to be very enjoyable, even if Jordan and Aikka were throwing glares at one another all the while behind her.

"You bet! Oh, wait, shirts…I'll be right back, then we can leave!" She exclaimed, before heading over to a storage room, finding a tank top for herself and pulling it on inside the closet, glad to be rid of her bloodied shirt and in something she found more comfortable. Smoothing the article over herself, she noticed a pair of shorts, and smiled all the broader; they looked to be her size! After sifting through some more shirts in the place and some estimating, she chose a shirt that looked to be just right for Aikka; sleeveless and not too snug.

"Here you go, I think it'll fit," the girl said, tossing the shirt at the prince as she came beside him, her former outfit folded in her arm. Aikka looked at the material, and swiftly pulled it on over his head, finding it a bit worn and frayed. "Sorry we don't have anything better, but this is just a hangar…these are just extra clothes for the mechanics to wear if they have all-nighters," Eva explained to him, putting her uniform on her bike.

Her present outfit seemed to be more like her, Aikka thought as he looked at her; it reminded him of how he knew her back on Alwas and Oban. Her tank top, deep blue in color, only reached her waist, and her shorts appeared to be the same color as the overalls she wore back then, and nearly met her knees in length. It fit her much better than did her school uniform.

"So, ready to go?" Eva asked eagerly, setting her hands on her hips and looking at him with a smile. Aikka returned the smile, and wrapped his thick belt around his waist, before attaching his dagger to that. Even with the remaining pieces of its handles, he equipped the medicine bag to him as well. He left his armor with her uniform on the rocket seat, and took to G'dar's side.

"May I offer you assistance, princess?" he asked playfully and with a bow. Eva blushed and strode forward, as Aikka leant slightly down, setting his hands down at the level of a high step.

"You sure you can do it? I mean with your injury…" Eva asked uncertainly, setting a hand on his shoulder for balance, a hand onto G'dar, and her foot into his hands. Aikka nodded certainly.

"I will be alright Molly," he told her smoothly. His blue eyes won the girl over, and she nodded to him. She placed both hands to G'dar's shell, signaling she was ready. G'dar, it seemed, had even lowered himself for their cause. With an announcement from the prince, Eva jumped with her free foot to add to the momentum as Aikka lifted her. With the force, mounting G'dar became that much easier for her, as she scrambled on the beetle's shell as it rounded out on the top beneath her. With a triumphant cry from atop the beetle, Eva looked down to the prince, who smiled up at her enthusiasm. She would fit right in with his people, he was amused to think.

He suddenly crouched low, and sprung deftly into the air, landing without fault before where she stood on the beetle. He gave her a smile as she slightly gaped at him, and passed her to seat himself on the rider's seat, flashing his blue eyes at her staring crimson ones. Grimacing, Eva noticed that pesky blush showing up again on her face. Turning, she took the space on the seat behind him that served as something of a passenger seat. G'dar was already moving below them, wobbling on his six legs towards the opening in the doors. Already his wings were rattling behind them in anticipation. The creature was more than ready to stretch his wings.

"Hold onto me, Molly, take offs can be a bit rough, especially for new passengers," Aikka told the girl behind him. Eva looked down at his side, knowing exactly where his wound was, for having it engraved into her memory, and carefully snaked her arms around his waist, avoiding the injury.

"Is this okay?" she asked, indicating her present hold. Aikka nodded with a smile.

"That's perfect, now just hang on," he then gave a motion to G'dar, and the beetle gladly spread his wings, beating them rapidly and creating that familiar hum, and a wind that lifted all three off the ground, as Aikka said, with a bit of a lurch.

As G'dar gained some altitude and steadied in the air, Eva eased her grip on the Nourasian a bit, ready to enjoy the scenery along with the ride. Aikka smiled back at her, and gave a bit of a pull on the handle in front of him, obviously signaling the trained G'dar to fly upward, then nudged to the side, causing the beetle to hum over the glass roof of Don Wei's hangar. Eva spotted their reflection in that glass and laughed as the wind played in her hair. After pointing G'dar for a direction of the green plains that were void of grey buildings, Aikka had a thought, and suddenly turned to her.

"Would you like to learn how to control him?" he laid a hand out, indicating the bug, and Eva looked at him wide eyed.

"You mean it?" she asked him, not bothering to hide her smile. Aikka gave her a smile and a nod, and Eva's smile turned to a grin. "You bet I would!" Aikka laughed, and stood from his seat, keeping a hand on the handle. He stood sideways to the saddle, and offered the girl his other hand. Taking it gladly, Eva stood only enough to transfer herself forward to the main seat, Aikka's usual spot. Aikka placed his foot on the other side of the seat, but didn't sit down. Rather, he leaned over Eva, and guided her hand to the ideal hold on the handle. If it weren't for her gloves, he would be in contact with her true hands.

"To get him to go faster, simply lean into the handle, and if you want to go a certain direction, just lean to the corresponding side," Aikka instructed into her spiked ear, while his hand simultaneously pressed into hers, causing G'dar to indeed hasten his pace over the green pastures. His hands left hers, and she pressed a little harder, gaining her confidence as G'dar sped forward, then curved right and left to her commands. "You are a natural, Molly," Aikka chuckled from behind her as she experimented more with the controls, laughing the whole time. She may not have had the connection with G'dar that Aikka had, but these were the basics of controlling him, and she had mastered them quite beautifully.

Finally, after just playing with the controls, she left it to G'dar, and spread out her arms, feeling and enjoying the breeze that the flight was creating. The sun was fast rising from the east, and from the looks of it, it was around eight o'clock. But she didn't care about the time, she didn't even seem aware of it. All she was aware of was the beauty that the world tended to have when she was up there with G'dar and Aikka. Everything seemed right. She gave an excited shout to the world to exhibit this feeling of belonging, and felt Aikka laugh at her excitement behind her.

"I wish I could do this more often; star racers are awesome, but I don't think anything compares to this," Eva said softly after a little while, closing her eyes to greater appreciate the sensation of flying through the wind. Aikka took to his seat with a smile.

"I thought you would enjoy it," Aikka told her warmly. He then took her outstretched hands with his, and led them back to the handle. "Now, to go down; G'dar needs his first meal,"

With that, his hands pressed into hers gently and at an angle that the beetle understood as instruction to head towards the Earth. Eva smiled at the feeling in the pit of her stomach, that exciting feeling that made her think of going down the first slope of a roller coaster. It remained with her until six legs made contact with the grassy plain of ground. Aikka stood first, as soon as G'dar's wings folded into their place under his sleek cerulean shell. The Nourasian leapt aptly off of the back of the beetle, and then turned, offering his hands in front of him, in aid to Eva, who was just pulling herself off the seat.

She came to the edge of the leveled surface of G'dar's back, and peered down, plotting her plan. G'dar seemed to have tucked his legs underneath him, so that wasn't going to be a problem, and she was beginning to think that the bug did it on purpose. In that moment, she took back each and every bad thing about beetles she'd ever said as a child.

She took a seat on his shell, and pushed forward, sliding down the creature's side with a cry that could have been a mixture of both excitement and slight fear. Her feet hit the land, and hands met hers, holding her from falling forward. Looking up from the ground, which she had been keeping a close eye on, lest it come up to meet her, she found soft blue eyes looking at hers.

Once again, she noticed how close they were to one another; she'd practically fallen into his arms. Aikka seemed to notice as well, for he looked away as his cheeks darkened, deciding to busy himself with monitoring G'dar's choice in diet, occasionally checking with Eva for names of the shrubberies that lay around. He decided to keep G'dar mainly to the grass below them, finding that it was common enough to have also been on Alwas, Oban and Nourasia, and agreeable enough to the bug to not give Aikka an upset beetle to deal with later on.

Eva, while the prince was keeping his attention on what his mount was eating, took to looking around at the countryside, and found the grey blocks that signified the city to be fairly well off from where they were.

"We really flew that far?" she asked herself in amazement, sitting on a nearby rock. She gave a smile as she set her chin in her hand. She suddenly wished that there were ruins nearby to explore. Aikka took his eyes off of the happily grazing beetle in favor of looking at Eva, finding her looking nostalgic, and at the same time beautifully illuminated by the Earthen sun. Giving a pat to his mount, he went to join her on the stone.

She seemed far off to him as he sat next to her, but he guessed the daydream was about good things, seeing the slight smile on her lips. He found her gaze to be overlooking the green hills between them and the distant city they'd just come from. Recalling that he'd said something about taking in more of the Earth's features, Aikka turned his attention from the girl next to him to the landscape before them.

"Earth is certainly different than Nourasia," Aikka said after a while of observing the land, finding it rather featureless, aside from the grey blocks of cities. "I believe we have wide spaces like this on our planet, though it has been some time since I visited them."

"Really? What's it like where you live?" Eva asked him curiously, eager to know more of his planet. Aikka had a smile, glad to be sharing.

"I live in Daalan, the royal city and center of Nourasia. There, the city forms with the land, parts of it are carved into the mountains, even the palace is partially inside a mountain. And there are forests everywhere, and to the west of the city, there's a whole maze of canyons that my people use as racing grounds. G'dar and I learned to race there."

"It sounds great," Eva said, being taken by the mere image it gave her in her mind. "I'd love to see it sometime," Aikka nodded, leaning back on his palms, as if basking in the morning sun.

"And I would love to show it to you," Aikka told her. "Perhaps I could even challenge you to a race there," he suggested with a laugh. He remembered their race on Alwas, how enjoyable it had been, until Jordan had shot at him. He and Molly worked together in that setting rather well, when nothing was standing between them.

Eva looked at him, finding a far off look in his eyes, signaling he was probably reminiscing about racing. She too had her fond memories of racing, such as their first race together, even if it had been ruined by her team mates. Aikka looked at her after his reverie, and found her looking at him with a smile which he immediately matched. Eva looked away, suddenly finding her gloved hands very interesting, for whatever reason. Aikka's smile shifted a little bit, finding the remnants of her fight still on her face.

"Molly, I thought you said those marks would disappear by today," Aikka said gently, touching her cheek with his fingers at the sight of the scratches that were indeed still faintly visible. Eva looked up at the touch, and her hand went to feel her own face, finding the certain areas to still be a bit sensitive to the material of her gloves.

"Yeah, well, they're really no big deal, I only said that so you'd quit worrying about me when it was you who was injured by a Crog." She said defiantly, crossing her arms and legs. Aikka looked at her for a second, and then laughed a bit.

"I imagine you are probably right," he told her, blue eyes meeting crimson. "Though you cannot blame me for caring, can you?"

At that, Eva was speechless. Her tightly folded arms loosened a bit, and her cheeks were stained pink. Aikka looked at her reaction and smiled, taking to his feet. He brushed his already dirty pants off, and held out a hand to the girl.

"Come, we should get back; we don't want to be late for your birthday," Eva smiled up at him, suddenly remembering what the day actually meant to her.

Taking his hand, she was led gently back to the grazing G'dar, who turned and gave a greeting cry at the sight of them. Wordless glances were traded between the creature and Aikka, and G'dar immediately knew it was time to go; and so he lowered himself to better aid the Nourasian and the human girl up. Though Eva was still a bit apprehensive about Aikka's injury being disturbed while he gave her a boost, they repeated the ritual. Aikka let her take the controls, and guided her hands through the take off signals. After successfully teaching her to get G'dar into the air, he took a hold of her waist and let her do the rest.

Needless to say, they were soon speeding back towards the city as fast as she could get the beetle to go.

--

Don Wei paced around the floor of the hangar in the meantime after having woken from the couch in his office to the humming sound of G'dar's wings. At least, that's what he guessed it was. When he had emerged from his office to investigate, there had been a passing shadow from above, though he hadn't been able to catch its source, and the enormous bug that Eva had brought in was absent. For a moment he wondered if the creature had wondered out on its own, in which case he wouldn't have wanted to be responsible to the disappearance of the Prince's beetle…then again, how hard would it have been to spot a giant blue beetle?

Still he had a thought; he was sure that Eva had been for a night flight with the prince and that thing once, though that time was on Oban, and Jordan was escorting her. Who was to say she wouldn't take a ride on it again? Of course, the Prince's wound, from what the nurses had told him, was a serious one; he was lucky to be alive. Would he have even been able to leave the hospital, let alone take his daughter for a ride?

Through whatever hopes he had that the prince and his daughter were where he had left them, a call he'd put through to the infirmary contradicted; both Eva and the prince had left earlier that morning, the prince with nearly a clean bill of health, due to an amazing recovery.

So, apparently, the two of them had come back to the hangar, only to have left on G'dar again. But where had they gone? Flying around on a giant beetle, in a world where beetles of that sort were usually no bigger than coins, could prove dangerous, even attract attention from the wrong crowds.

And more importantly, why hadn't she at least told him her plans? It was her birthday, after all, she was expected, and all he really wanted to do was to be the father to her and be there for her, something he'd never done, something he should have done.

"Sir?" Koji's voice sounded above from the door to the bunkers, and the oriental mechanic came to lean on the railing, and was soon followed by Stan, who appeared to be sleepwalking, straight towards the coffee maker in the break room. "Is everything ok?"

Before Don had a chance to dump his problems on Koji, a quickly increasing hum overtook the hangar, and both mechanic and manager looked up through the glass parts of the ceiling, seeing the return of G'dar. If Don didn't know any better, he could have sworn that he heard the laugh of his daughter riding with it.

The beetle set down in front of the hangar, rattled his wings a couple of times, and strode causally into the hangar, returning to his previous place next to the wall. On top of his shell, there were indeed, two passengers.

"Eva, there you are," Don said, venturing as close to G'dar as he dared. Aikka, meanwhile, caught sight of the manager, and hopped down off G'dar, and turned immediately to help Eva with her landing, which she was getting much better at. The girl slid nimbly down G'dar's side, taking Aikka's hands for assistance only for a second.

"Dad! You're up," Eva observed, dusting off her shorts while Aikka stood off to the side, letting Eva take care of her father.

"Yes, I have been up for a while, wondering where you have been! Where on Earth did you go on that thing?" Don demanded, setting a hand on her shoulder, and motioning to G'dar with the other.

"His name is G'dar, I told you, and Aikka and I took him so he could get something to eat!" Eva told her father angrily; it was just like him, she thought, to get hostile about it.

"And why didn't you tell me where you were going, or that you were going at all? What if something happened to you?" Don continued, unfortunately not sounding very caring about it. Before Eva could say anything about it, though, she found a hand on her free shoulder, and looked to find Aikka beside her.

"My apologies, sir, I asked her to accompany me," the prince said, sinking into a deep bow. "We should have alerted you to our plans." The prince brought himself back up to find Don's expression still a sort of glower. With a sigh, though, he released his daughter's shoulder, and came back to a smile.

"Well, either way, you're here, and it's your birthday." He had the kind sort of aura to his voice again, which brought a smile back to Eva's face. He held out his arms to the girl, who blinked back at him. "This should have been done years ago, but…Eva, happy birthday." He told her honestly and with a deep smile on his middle-aged face. Aikka couldn't help but smile as well, when Eva practically tackled her father in a hug.

"Thanks, daddy," Eva said, smiling into her father's chest.

Behind them, Koji watched with a smile, and Stan came up from behind him, two cups of coffee in hand, and put an arm around Koji, who took one of the cups.

"And you said he was heartless," Stan murmured to Koji, who in turn whipped towards Stan so fast it upset his glasses.

"Me! You were the one who always said it!" Stan busied himself with a long sip of coffee to avoid the subject, and Koji looked away from his companion with a bit of a pout.

"Don't worry, Koj, I'm sure he forgives ya," Stan told Koji playfully, patting the smaller mechanic on the back hard enough to jolt the coffee in his cup. "Happy birthday, kid!" he went over to give Eva his congratulations, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding his cup of coffee up as if in a toast. Eva laughed at the gesture, and Aikka smiled on it. The girl suddenly noticed Aikka standing behind them, a bit out of the loop.

"Hey, dad, you think Aikka could come with us? I mean, if we're still on for the whole party at the house, I mean," Eva asked her dad as Stan released her to stand by Koji once more. Don gave a look to his daughter, then to the Nourasian in question, who stood off to the side, still looking a bit confused.

"Well, if you want him to come, I suppose, yes. It is your birthday, after all," Don nodded with a smile. Eva lit up and then turned fast to Aikka.

"What do you say, Aikka, you want to come?" Aikka looked at her, finding her crimson eyes gleaming with hope. He immediately smiled.

"It'd be an honor to come with you, Moll—Eva," Aikka corrected himself in the presence of her father.

"You're gonna go looking like that?" A deep voice said from behind the prince. Looking behind him, Aikka found the man he only vaguely remembered as being the first Earth pilot eyeing him up and down…at least as much as he could tell, what with the glasses that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face. "Glad to see you're looking better, Prince, but I can't say the same for your outfit,"

Aikka looked down at his outfit, being reminded of its condition. He looked back up at Rick, a bit embarrassed.

"Yes, I apologize," Aikka said sheepishly, before Rick started to laugh.

"Don't worry about it, I'll help you fix this little problem," Rick told the prince certainly. Eva looked between the prince and Rick, finding a puzzled look to match her own confusion on Aikka's face. Blue eyes glanced at her for a second before Rick spoke again.

"Hey Don, you take those three, I'll take the Prince and get him something to wear," he said, slinging a muscular arm around the Nourasian, who was now making sense of it all. Don Wei nodded with a smile.

"Pick out something nice for the boy, Rick," Don suggested with a little grin on his face before turning towards his office again.

"I beg your pardon?" Aikka said, a bit panicked that he was relying on the human for buying things for him.

"Don't worry about it, your highness. It'll be my treat. Just think of it as a present for Eva." Rick told the flustered prince. Aikka took in his words, and looked at Eva, finding her still a little taken back at her father's assistant kidnapping the prince. He figured that a giving a present was part of the Earth custom of birthdays. "Meet ya there, Don! See ya later, Little Mouse," he gave a two fingered salute to the birthday girl, who stared after the former pilot and the prince.

Aikka looked back at her at the last moment, and gave her a little smile, along with a wave, which she returned. She was still a little surprised, but she found herself thinking eagerly about the prospect of seeing Aikka in a set of Earthen clothes. It certainly gave her something more to look forward to. She turned to the voices of Koji and Stan, who were beckoning her off to help them check up on the star racers before they headed to the Wei house. With that chore completed and her bidding farewell to G'dar, they would soon be on their way.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **To the mall! Lol…The prospect of Aikka in human clothes is just too great an opportunity to pass up…Not to mention, I just hate leaving him trapped in his old ragged pjs and a mechanic's shirt, he's a prince, for Buddha's sake!…There'll probably be a picture of his new outfits in the works in the land of my sketchbooks, so, again, when my camera and I are on terms, it'll probably be up when it exists. And I don't know where the little Stan-Koji exchange came from, but I love it! X3

See you guys next update, where Aikka's new outfit will be revealed, and a certain president will be alerted as to the possibly impending Crog attack…We'll see how it goes…


	7. Of Parties and Presidents

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : **Alright, you awesome fan-people of mine, I have wonderful news! I, after several skirmishes and meetings with the instruction manual, have managed to tame my new digital camera! I may still be a newb, but I know now how to take pictures of my…pictures…lol…So! There is currently one Deviation in my account on Deviant Art, and that is a page of Aikka doodles for this story! The first submission of quite a few, I'm guessing… I am really getting into drawing Savin-style, it's really fun! And as promised, there are some views of Aikka's new hair style on there. Of course…lol. Haah, Gomen, I am really running off of pure caffeine right now, I was practically falling asleep when I was getting to the end of editing this chapter, because I am so freaking tired! Me and a friend caught up with each other yesterday, and we ended up doing a lot of stuff; first a sleepover, then a visit to our old school to see our friends that we miss so much(which resulted in us getting kicked out, which is better than being arrested for trespassing! OO) and then going to the mall. So, While I meant to get this update up yesterday after finally conquering my camera(I was so stoked), this whole get-together came up, and thus I have been delayed by about 28 hours!! You can tell I'm hyper, right? Lol..

Edit: Ok, this is turning out even later than I mentioned above…Comcast decided to disconnect us after I passed out during the writing of this. So, the delay is longer! Augh! Technology….

So, anyway, this chapter is probably the longest one yet, even without all the extra wordage provided by my blabbering! The first new outfit of Aikka's shall hence be revealed! And Don and Aikka talk war with the president of Earth…How will that go…? Anyway, onto the review replies, there's a lot of them! O,O .:is buried under all of them:.

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _Yeah, I could definitely see Eva learning to race on a beetle, and racing Aikka like that…What would really be cool is if she won! Lol, the look on Aikka's face could be priceless…And I actually like the idea you mentioned about giving her her own beetle…Perhaps I could use that idea later on? Maybe give her a smaller breed of beetle, that'd be cool :) And I love Aikka's ninja skills, I think my favorite part with his ninja skills was when he hopped on Ondai during the final race. He used his dagger, too, so that was awesome…I don't think he got to use that thing nearly enough…dang…I just have a thing for swords and other such sharp pointy objects :D Oh, yes, I remember the Crog in the beginning, the one that chased them down in the car, right? I think it was awesome how he just rips the top off that thing and hops in. Looked like when you have a Barbie car and put some oversized action figure doll in it, or something! I laughed when that happened, actually XD The ones in the prequel thing, though, when they were on the Crog planet, those were evil looking…And yeah, that's probably a good idea, dropping the two Crogs in a secluded(possibly radioactive XD ) area for their big fight…Yay, go Toros!.:hands you a 'Toros' flag and waves one of her own':.

_Crazyvegimab: _.:huggles back:. :) And thank you to your input on my pictures! I am pleased to see that I'm getting anatomy right, that's always a good thing. And I also liked the story of how you came to get the shapes of the leaves for that picture, pretty funny. Isn't it great that our parents put up with random people like us? Lol –And yeah, I love Stan and Koji, they're just so fun to play with, as you can see XD I actually am putting Aikka in one of my more favorite kind of outfits. The first one is in this chapter, but the second one, I'm still debating, and figuring out how to trick it out. I have it written in the story beyond this chapter, but there can still be changes made to it until I get it up, so I'm still thinking on it. Trying to find something Earthy, and something that will probably exist within the next century, and something that would still fit with Aikka. But, either way, I hope you like it!

_Shrouded View: _Indeed, I already had one that I drew that corresponds with the part where he saves Eva from her 'friends,' but it really didn't give that good of a look at his hair. So, I decided to add a doodle! You think my Stan-Koji moment was classic? Aww .:glomps you out of sheer joy:. Huzzah, I'm so glad that turned out so well! Every once in a while I'm struck with genius, and there's proof, I suppose! Lol…And yeah, you gotta love Don…He is exactly as you said! XD

_Sekai Nerah: _Wow, that's crazy awesome…reminds me of the time I used to turn on the radio, hoping that a certain song would come on…and then it did! I did that more than once, which is crazy…I'm so happy he did take her on that ride, too, and I have to wonder what would have happened if Jordan hadn't hopped on at the last moment…I have the feeling he ruined some Aikka/Molly fluffiness by doing that… D:

_DBZ angel:_ Yep, I understand about the brothers and their obsession with playing computer games, my boyfriend's brother is the same, but much worse…With him, it's World of Warcraft, and it's 24 hours a day! Yeesh… It could be worse, is what I'm trying to say, I guess! XD Ah, school and exams…I kind of miss it but I kind of don't…Anyway, here's Aikka's first outfit, the wait for that is over…the prince's gift to Eva, though, might take a little longer… Stil contemplating and fiddling with ideas of what and when he gives her… .:shifty eyes:.

_Frubabforever: _Oh my, Howl or Aikka… That'd be a hard fight to take sides on…I love them both! I'll try to check it out in the future, and don't worry, I don't flame peoples :)

_Isabella of the Night: _The camera and me are on terms now, so no worries! And soon you'll even be able to see Aikka's new clothes! Just need to draw it… :D Woot for the fluffiness!

_A13Van: _You and me both! Thanks for the review, enjoy the update, and glad you like it so far!

_Jess Ishtar: _It's up later than I wanted it to be, but here it is!

_Fushica: _Cool, I'm really glad you like it, and how successful this story is getting. Thank you, thank you!

_Star Fata: _Wait no longer! ;)

_Crystal Persian: _Here 'tis, enjoy!

_Thechickenlittle: _I think you will be pleased:)

Werewolftamer: um….Please don't kill me…? .:runs off before she is murdered:.

By the way, this might be useful, but my name on DeviantArt is KyokoMari, and the name of the piece is 'Some Aikka Doodles.' So, yeah, drop by and say hi:D And just because I draw and write about Oban Star Racers, don't mean I own it!

**--**

**--Chapter 7--**

**Of Parties and Presidents**

**--**

Aikka was led to another technological creation, a convertible. With the push of a button, Rick was able to unlock the thing as they walked up to it, so it greeted them with a beep. Aikka paused before the passenger side door, and looked into the vehicle.

"Well, hop in, prince," Rick told him as he opened his own side and sat in front of the steering wheel. Aikka nodded, and mimicked Rick's methods, finding the seats to be rather plush and comfortable.

As soon as he was able to figure out how to fasten the seat belt over his chest, Rick hit the gas, causing the vehicle to glide as smooth as it was fast out of the back lot of the Wei hangar. On the CD player, played one of Rick's rock mixes, which the prince found fascinating, and extremely different from his planet's traditional music.

"So, how's Earth treatin' ya?" Rick asked after a little while of pure rock music. Aikka started out of his thoughts of home, and found the buildings looming above him.

"It's a beautiful planet, though the cities are contrastingly different than my own," Aikka said simply. "It is…an adjustment," Rick nodded.

"Yeah, I get tired of the city sometimes too. Too many memories." Rick grimaced, and Aikka sensed some remorse in his voice. Perhaps it had something to do with his accident, something the prince only vaguely knew about as being the cause for the first Earth pilot having to quit. "So, you and Eva, what's going on there?" Rick turned a teasing look to the Nourasian, who's breath caught a bit with the question.

"What's…going on?" he asked puzzled, turning wide blue eyes towards the human.

"Yeah, between you and her. I'm not trying to pry or anything, but…" Rick held up a hand in defense. "I'm just curious. And, you'll find that I am close to being her protective big brother, I just want to look out for the kid." He gave the Nourasian a little smile. Aikka couldn't help but smile himself; Eva certainly did have many who cared about her.

"I am her friend," Aikka told him. "And she is one of my only true friends and I, like you, want to protect her," Rick smiled knowingly.

"You sure that's all?" Rick looked sideways at the prince, a glint on his sunglasses. Aikka looked at him, a little taken off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for one, she always seems to blush when she looks at you. I remember the last race you were in on Alwas, she was beaming when you took out Spirit and gave us the break for Oban. And you, well, you got a certain look in your eyes every time you look at her." Rick told the prince straight, while Aikka felt betrayed by his burning cheeks. He was trying to hold that possible side of his feelings hidden from even himself, but it had somehow even become visible to outside perspectives. "That, and Don more or less told me about your little 'intimate moment' with her last night," He grinned. Aikka's eyes widened at the thought that their embrace was thought of in such ways.

"I would hardly call that intimate, she was simply scared that I had come so close to being lost to her," he told Rick seriously, his voice going soft enough to be contested with the music from the stereos. He recalled how her shoulders shook beneath his hands and lidded his eyes at the thought. He hated seeing her like that; he hated seeing such a strong person tremble like she had. "And I was. I was that close; Toros could have easily dealt a more deadly blow."

"Toros…" Rick said, more to himself than anything. He finally recalled where he'd heard that name before, and looked fully at Aikka. "You mean the Crog racer?"

Aikka only nodded. The open-topped vehicle curved sharply into a small span filled with similar vehicles, and to Aikka, it looked as if they were still on the edge of the city, not being completely surrounded by the immense steel structures. The vehicle came to a stop, and Aikka lurched slightly forward with the motion.

"Well, sounds like someone's a little bitter about the races," Rick said jokingly, tugging at some lever on the dashboard, shifting into the parking position. With a quick motion, the dark haired man unfastened his harness, and stepped out of the car, Aikka quickly doing the same. "But, all joking aside," Rick said as the two leveled out on the sidewalk before them, setting a hand on the prince's shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright, for your sake, and for Eva's." Aikka smiled at the sentiment.

And so, Aikka was then introduced to the building in front of him, a department store, by what Rick called it, and its many offerings of clothes. The prince was new to all this, having had all his outfits tailor made by the best Seamstress in Daalan, such a privilege that came of his blood. And frankly, he found it a bit nerve-wracking. There were humans everywhere, which he didn't so much mind, until it became quite obvious to him that he was an outsider, by all the looks he was earning. Children stopped and stared on occasion, at which times Aikka was glad to return a smile to the young Earthlings. It never stopped the questions from coming however. Though Aikka knew, he could not blame them for being curious; they were only children after all. He knew it'd be the same if it were him guiding Rick through the streets of Daalan.

Through all the stares, Rick had noticed, and decided to take the young Prince along the back walls and directly towards a dressing room, so the stares at the Nourasian's appearance and scrappy clothing could be avoided. The two were lucky enough to have found a kind and understanding woman working in the area, whom allowed them her full attention; sizing the prince in the inconspicuous area of the dressing booths, adding her input on colors and styles that would fit in with the Prince's natural appearance and physique, and even fetching several outfits for them to work with. All the help allowed the supposed 'lost vagabond' find suitable dressings without being eyed by the local population.

After a little while of this, Aikka and the two humans agreed on two outfits, and after having one scanned to include their prices on the receipt, the Nourasian was allowed to wear it out of the store. He turned in the outfit once more in front of the mirrors, smiling at the results; the top was actually reminiscent to him of his own people's dress, being a loose-fitting white tunic, with some black threads stitched in around the wide collar and the hems of the sleeves, giving it a little decoration. To go along with the black threading, black pants of a material he heard as 'denim' had been selected. For his choice of shoes, a simple pair of tatami sandals caught Aikka's attention, being reminded of the shoes he'd neglected to put on during the attack on the palace. They weren't quite as comfortable as his own were, but again, he had always had his dressings tailor made to fit. With his belt equipped around his waist, the outfit was really completed.

Aikka walked out of the dressing room, and found Rick at the woman's service desk, plastic bag of Aikka's clothes, new and old, on his arm, whilst he dug in his wallet for a correct card. The prince was suddenly reminded of the burden he was becoming.

"Ah, Rick, this all doesn't cost too much, does it?" Aikka asked warily. Rick simply laughed and gave the prince a grin.

"Don't worry about it, kid. I used to be a pilot. This is nothing." Rick handed the smiling cashier a certain card, and she ran it through her machine, earning a series of beeps. "Besides, I said it'd be my treat. You don't owe me anything."

Aikka smiled and turned to the woman who had helped them out so much, and gave her a bow. He gave her his thanks, along with Rick, and soon they were back on their way out of the store, close to the back walls. The stares he received now were ones that exhibited a sense of admiration, for how the Nourasian's appearance had gone from disheveled to elegant. He and Rick were both glad to notice that even the children were looking at him with a whole new light. He actually felt like he was a prince again.

"Amazing, what a change of clothes can do, eh, Prince?" Rick commented as they approached his convertible again when they reached the outside. "And hey, if you think they reacted well, I wonder how Eva will like it," Rick grinned over the vehicle as he and the prince got in. This earned a slight and reluctant blush from the Nourasian, but Rick inwardly smiled to himself; it was reaction enough for the man to see. He couldn't help but wonder, if there really wasn't anything more between the two teenagers besides friendship, as Aikka had claimed. It was going to be some fun trying to find out, though.

--

This had to be some wonderful, extraordinary dream; that was Eva's theory. In a few moments, she would wake up in her bed, and all this would have never happened. It was just too great to be real.

She gave a quick pinch to her own arm; no, this was real. It really wasn't a dream that she had an actual birthday party, with actual family and friends to celebrate with. Stan and Koji were there, and Aikka and Rick were on their way. But Don Wei, her father who was missing in action for a total of ten birthdays before, was there, with her. It had meant a lot that she'd been living in their new house just outside the city for the last year, but somehow this day just brought a whole new level of gratefulness that she was reunited with him.

The now sixteen year old watched Stan and Koji while they worked on hooking up a new game system they'd both chipped in on for the occasion, while Don stood behind her, snaking a chain of jewelry around her neck, clasping it in back. Turning, she looked at the adornment, a pure silver crescent moon, dimpled beautifully to provide texture. It looked like it should have been heavy, but felt cool and lightweight in her fingers, gleaming perfectly. In the bottom point of the moon, was engraved the letter 'M'.

"It was your mother's," Don said to bring her out of her observations, finding him smiling at her. She looked down at the charm again, and suddenly found an even greater fondness for it. "She never raced without it…well, almost never…" He looked away, a bit sadly. There was one race she hadn't put it on, which was the sole reason why it was still there. Eva suddenly caught what he meant, and fell a little too. "But, I am sure she would want you to have it. I've kept it all these years…It's time I gave it to someone who can give it proper care."

Eva looked back at her father, speechless. She never had anything so personal to her mother before. She had bought racing goggles to match her mother's, since the actual ones couldn't have been salvaged from the wreckage of her death, and she had matching tattoos on her face, but this, this charm had actually belonged to Maya, it had actually touched her. Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes, and she cried her gratitude while she threw herself into her father's arms.

Koji turned his attention back to the job in front of him with an elbow in the ribs, compliments of Stan, but the smile he had on from the exchange didn't disappear as he fiddled with some wires.

"Ah, here we go," Stan told Eva as she walked up behind them to see their progress. "Take the controls, Eva. We got the newest racing game for you!"

"Awesome, guys, let's see how they did on the racers," Eva grinned eagerly, as she took the sleek controller into her palms, waiting to see how the game industry portrayed the technological star racers.

Don laughed to himself and went off to dig out some refreshments for the casual get-together from the kitchen. He smiled to himself despite whatever reminder he'd been given when he gave the favorite pendant of his wife to his daughter. It was the one essential thing, besides the lone photo of the three of them as a happy family that he'd carried with him over the years, the one thing that he just couldn't depart with. It would seem a crime to just pawn the thing away, when it was held so closely by Maya. So despite whatever memories that the little silver charm had drudged up, he was glad to have it finally passed on to Eva, someone who could pay proper appreciation to it, placing it in care that Maya herself would surely have no argument against. Even more, he was glad to see her reaction to the gift. For a while before this day, he'd wondered on what she would truly want for a gift from him. In the end, a quick rummage through some old things had led him to the trinket, and it became obvious that it would make the perfect gift for their first birthday together.

Competitive cries from the two mechanics and Eva nearly drowned out the sound of the tapping knock on the Weis' front door, but Don somehow heard it from the kitchen, that was across the now noisy living room. It had been a while since Rick had departed from the hangar, so Don could only figure it was his assistant, and the prince. Eva looked at her father as he crossed the room past the trio of gamers, and it clicked that their last guests had arrived. Pressing pause in fervor, she shot up as Don opened the door to find Rick leaning in the frame.

"Rick, you're back!" She observed excitedly, while Koji and Stan stood as well. Rick gave them a two fingered salute, and gave the birthday girl a huge smile.

"I think you'll be very pleased, Little Mouse," He gave a wink, even knowing full well that the girl wouldn't be able to see it. Behind him, he could sense the prince smoothing out his outfit, as if nervous about the whole presentation. He inwardly grinned at this; he could tell there was more to the prince and his thoughts on Eva than he bothered to say aloud.

Eva strode closer, to better see the presentation on the new Prince, and was closely followed by Stan and Koji. Don stood to the side, not signaling any interest on the subject at all. Rick gave another grin with his arms crossed over his broad chest, and stepped away from the doorway.

"Come on in, Prince, show 'em how Earth looks on ya," Rick told the Nourasian, who strode in on his command. His cerulean eyes met Eva's crimson as he smiled, and gave her a bow.

Eva found herself speechless at the image in front of her. She had expected that the prince would look good in certain clothes of their culture, but the outfit that had been selected exceeded her expectations, it put the image she had in her head of Aikka in human clothes to shame. It was a rather plain and simple combination of articles, but it seemed to do so much for him, it managed to make him look all the more stunning to her. Even his articles of Nourasia, the belt and his curling headpiece, seemed to do nothing but accentuate the outfit.

"Wow, you did good on him, Rick!" Stan said from the side, with his arm slung around his companion.

"Yeah, I think he looks great!" Koji agreed from under the other mechanic's arm. Aikka smiled to the two men, and looked back at Eva, who was still working on picking her jaw up off the floor.

"I think she likes it, too, Prince," Rick assured the Nourasian quietly and into a pointed ear. This finally brought Eva out of it, finding that she was staring dumbly at the prince, and that a blush was creeping up again.

"What, of course I do, it looks awesome!" Eva exclaimed, hoping her huge smile would take away from her blush. Aikka couldn't help but laugh a little at her reaction. Rick had been right; her reaction was far better than any he'd gotten in the store, and it was what made the whole trip to the place totally worth while.

So now with all of Eva's guests present, the party turned back to the entertainment of her new gift, the game that had been paused. Aikka was dragged over so that he could see the technology for himself, while Eva challenged Stan to a versus race. Sitting on the couch with his Earthen friends, he watched as the mechanic and the pilot coursed their star racers through a virtual course, while Don Wei and Rick seemed to be discussing things in the adjacent kitchen, and Aikka could easily guess what it was about.

--

"Prince," Don Wei's voice caught the attention of all the younger humans and of the Nourasian, all of whom were now catching up, and currently listening to Stan and Koji telling them about one of their latest projects. Aikka looked up at the man, finding a serious look on his face. "I'd like to discuss some things with you."

Aikka looked a little blank for a second, but nodded, standing dutifully from the couch. Next to him, Eva looked from Aikka to Don, a little worried.

"Dad?" She asked simply. Don gave her a smile.

"Don't worry, Eva, just going to straighten some facts out concerning Aikka's…visit." Eva still eyed him, then looked to Aikka. He smiled at her and proceeded to follow Don through the kitchen. Rick stood by too, apparently as being a part of the discussion as well. A glance back to Stan and Koji told her that they were staring after the prince as well, confusion and curiosity written on their faces.

"Let me come too, he's already told me about it!" She said, following after them. Aikka turned in time to see her father intercepting the girl with a hand to her shoulder.

"Eva, let me handle this," Don told her. Truth be told, he didn't want to have her present during a talk about war, which was undoubtedly the case, if the Crogs were involved, as Rick had told him.

Aikka looked, a little nervous, between the both of them. He knew that Eva was far too stubborn to let it go like that.

"Dad, I'm sixteen years old, I can handle a little talk about war," Eva told her father fiercely, as if reading his mind. Don looked blankly at his daughter for a second. Stan and Koji appeared a bit behind the girl, wondering as well about the whole topic.

Don sighed, a sign that he was giving in. He turned towards the back door, along with Aikka, and exited onto the deck. He knew now that there was going to be no putting his daughter off of the discussion now, so he let her follow, along with Stan and Koji. Aikka and Rick were ahead of him, and on the deck on the back of the house. Eva settled against the door jamb of the back door, while Stand and Koji stuck near her. Looking out on the small back yard from the edge railing, Don peered sideways at Aikka, who was standing readily near him.

"I'm told that the Crogs were involved with your injury," Don suggested to the Prince, without looking away from the setting sun.

"Yes," Aikka nodded promptly. His eyes grew a little darker on his reminder of the attack, especially the personal one from Kross. "They have attacked not only me, but my home world as well."

"And so you came here?" Don looked at the Nourasian now, a little quizzically. "Shouldn't you be aiding your kingdom?" Don's voice carried a bit of curiosity, as well as a bit of concern. Aikka glanced away for a moment.

"My people will be alright without me for now, I have faith in them. But I came here for fear of the Crogs reaching Eva first." He looked at Don seriously. Don, in return, gave a look of slight fear, as if he were trying to hide the effect that the Nourasian's words had on him. He gave a quick glance at Eva before breaking the newfound silence. Stan and Koji also looked to the girl, a bit worried themselves.

"You feel that Eva is in danger?" His voice was suddenly quiet. "Was there a…direct threat to her?" Don unfolded his arms and stepped towards the Nourasian.

Eva suddenly shifted slightly; this was a good question, one that hadn't been answered in their talk the previous night. Aikka looked at her with her movement, finding her crimson eyes full of expectancy. He could even feel the eyes of Stan, Koji and Rick on him, just as questioning as Don's and Eva's. His own blue eyes sank a little, as Kross's exact words flashed into his mind.

"_I'll let you take this information to your grave; Your little _Princess_ is next, Aikka."_

"There was, I'm afraid." Aikka finally said, casting a look off to the west. "It was Kross who threatened her when he thought he had won against me. I managed to use a portal spell to escape after that, and so I came here, to warn her."

"Wait a minute, did you say Kross?" Eva suddenly cried from the side, drawing the attention of the men to her. "I mean, in the final race, when I pushed him into the ground, there was an explosion! He shouldn't have been able to survive that, right?"

Aikka looked at her, astounded. So that was what happened to Kross after he'd gone down in the race. He never knew the details, but he did know that Kross had survived past the race, despite whatever injury he'd attained in this explosion that Eva was speaking about. He even thought that Kross had become a little more spiteful, but then again, it's always hard to tell those things with the Crogs.

"I can only assume that he survived, because it was indeed general Kross who led the Crogs into the invasion of Nourasia," Aikka told the girl grimly, which earned a look of fear on her part. "I did not know of an explosion…" Meanwhile, Don seemed to be fearful himself, hiding his face behind a white-gloved hand.

"So what is to happen, if he does come after Eva?" The man asked, more to himself than anything. Aikka looked down sadly; he didn't know what could be done. A Crog attack would be deadly, and hard to defend against. The Crogs wouldn't discriminate either, if they came to take out Eva, they'd surely find the time to take out some of the rest of the human race while they were at it. This was not only a threat to his dearest friend, but her entire planet.

Without warning, Don turned for the doorway, causing the three younger members of the gathering to leap out of the way.

"Don?" Rick said after the older man, beginning to follow. Don stopped, but didn't turn to face them.

"Prince Aikka, come with me." He commanded of the Nourasian from the darkened area of the kitchen. Aikka looked at Rick and Eva, but followed the order.

"Sir?" Aikka asked, catching up to the man, who looked sideways at the Nourasian boy.

"Get ready to explain your case; we're going to see the president." Don told him with a determined look. "If all goes well, both Eva and your planet will receive protection."

Eva couldn't help but smile; she'd never seen her father so determined to help someone else. Even Aikka seemed taken aback, for his blue eyes were wide, his jaw slightly slack from the suggestion. Before he had a chance to respond, Don began walking through the dim house again. With a look to Eva and the others, he smiled and followed. Where he ended up, looked to be Don's office, judging by the desk and files that were in the room. Don was currently sifting through a cabinet, and then pulled out what looked to be a technological suitcase. The man then caught the prince's curious look at the thing and spoke.

"A communicator. I used this old thing back during the race of Oban to keep the President updated." He explained, unlatching it and propping it up on the desk, revealing a few inactive lights that appeared in the shape of rings. As he switched it on, the rings lit up, and the contraption hummed just slightly, at barely an audible level.

Meanwhile, outside the door, which was now opened no more than a crack, the rest of the party stood, not exactly huddling around to eavesdrop, but not exactly ensuring the privacy of the discussion within. Eva, the closest to being an eavesdropper, sat down just next to the doorway. Inside the room, she could hear the feminine but robotic voice of the communicator asking her father where to call.

"I'd like a conference call to the President of Earth," Don stated clearly, standing as rigid and straight as a board in front of the thing and next to Aikka. The red ring blinked a few times, then turned green. Outside, Eva fiddled a little nervously as she heard the communicator's voice confirm the call, and at the same time she wondered, would they really be able to speak directly to the president like this?

Aikka watched, with a slightly wide eyed, as the next light appeared, a red one that shone directly at himself and Don, before it ran down both of their forms. Then he saw the grainy image showing above the contraption, a hologram of an older human, seated in a decorated arm chair, a look on his face that looked as if he were both surprised to have a call, and as if he were being disturbed.

"Don Wei, well it's been a while, hasn't it?" the president chuckled nervously. Aikka could tell, even though this was merely an illusion of the true president, that the older man was confused as to how Don had gotten to him. "I would have thought this line would be closed to you after the race was all done and over with…"

"I guess not," Don said nonchalantly, before getting down to business. "I have here with me, Aikka, the prince of Nourasia, and he brings a warning with him." Aikka gave a deep, courtly bow to the hologram screen on his cue. He found the president's listless eyes on him, as if he'd only just noticed his presence with Don.

"The Crogs have declared an invasion of my kingdom, and I have adequate reason to believe that they will target Earth next," Aikka stated professionally. "Specifically, I fear that they will come after Eva Wei, Mr. Wei's daughter, and the winner of the race of Oban." The president was now simply staring at the prince now, as if he was puzzling something over in his own mind.

"You…you said you were from Nourasia, correct, boy?" The prince nodded hesitantly. "Nourasia, I recall, are the Crog's allies. How am I to know that this all isn't some sort of trap to get my troops thrown into battle and killed under false circumstances?" He narrowed his eyes at Aikka, who narrowed his blue ones in return.

"My allegiance lies nowhere near the Crogs, and with all due respect, that so-called alliance, was nothing more than servitude forged on force and blackmail." That earned a blink from the president. "In fact, the sole reason they are bent on destroying me and my people is because of my behavior during the race of Oban that they consider to be traitorous." Aikka's sapphire eyes had gone cold now, and Eva was certain, just from hearing his voice in such a tone, that she didn't want to see the anger on his face.

"My point of this chat, Mr. President, was to discuss the matter of protection," Don Wei said, taking the eyes of the holographic man off of a slightly angered Aikka. "There has been a direct threat naming my daughter as a target of Crog hostilities, and I think I am correct in assuming that the Crogs will not differentiate from the rest of the Earth. An attack on one human would surely mean an invasion of some sort for the rest of the world."

The president simply nodded, as if in thought. And was it just Aikka, or were the president's eyes flashing in his direction every now and then as if he were something to be suspicious of? At the deafening silence from within the office, Eva fiddled a little more with her new pendant. Finally her father was heard again;

"Let me specify further; I am requesting that my daughter be offered protection of the state," Don glared purposefully at the president. Aikka glanced slightly over at him, and found his older face rapt with determination. "Not only that, but I also suggest action from the military, defensive in the least. For the good of the planet, we must be ready for an attack." At this, the president suddenly smiled, then laughed out loud, causing even all four of the outsiders to do a double take towards the uncalled-for sound.

"Don Wei, a racing manager, is giving me tips on how to prepare for a supposed war?" Both Don and Aikka managed slight glares at the foolish president, then exchanged looks with each other.

"This war is not a farce, and it will be at your doorstep soon, sir!" Aikka spoke loudly as to be heard over the president's remaining laughter. "If your people are to be protected, defensive action must be taken!"

"Leave the running of my planet to me, my boy," the president said, finally over his laughter and actually leaning out of his chair for emphasis on his point. Aikka drew back, angered a little further by each thing the president said. How he promised himself and his people in this moment that when he would become a ruler, he would not become like this man. "And Mr. Wei, your request for private protection simply is not plausible, I can't simply offer protection to whomever asks for it! There just aren't the resources, nor do I see upstanding reason to offer your daughter in particular special treatment!"

("So winning the great race of Oban and saving the world as we know it isn't reason enough for that anymore?" Rick was heard muttering to the other outside listeners. Stan and Koji agreed entirely with the older man, each of them throwing their own dirty looks through the door.)

Before Don Wei could respond to the president's answer, Aikka had beaten him to it.

"She is a citizen of your planet, one of your people, is that not reason enough to give her aid when she has been threatened?!" The Nourasian's anger seemed to have escalated even more, though he did a great job of keeping himself in check, after years of holding his temper and emotions in him and out of the matters of royalty. Eva shivered at his outburst, having never heard Aikka so angry, but at the same time, it filled her with some warmth that he was in there, standing up for her, and against her own president.

"She was the winner of Oban, because of her, there is a human Avatar, Eva deserves some thanks for the Hell we put her through during that race!" Don chimed in now, his own voice indignant at the thought that his own president was turning his back on him…on his daughter!

"Exactly, Don; there is a human Avatar now." The president smiled, folding his hands in his lap. Don and Aikka simply stared at the holographic man. "With a human Avatar, the Crogs would not dare an invasion on Earth. Have you noticed that after the shock wave from Oban that disabled them, the Crogs have never returned?"

"That means nothing to the Crogs, they waited this long to attack Nourasia," Aikka retorted, before being cut off…by the president.

"Not even the Crogs have the strength, nor the stupidity, to attack the home world of the all powerful Avatar, and the last time I checked, Nourasia was not the Avatar's home world!"

Aikka couldn't believe this; how stupid, how foolish this president was. How reckless he was to risk the safety of his own planet and to throw total faith that the guardian of the galaxy would save the day. Wars had occurred during Satis's reign, and surely they occurred during Kannaletto's as well. This reign was no different; war occurred no matter the origin of the Avatar. This leader was simply getting overconfident. Unfortunately he also seemed to be very stubborn and deaf to the voice of reason.

"Then you will do nothing," Aikka suggested, practically spitting out the words. "You will do nothing to protect your own people while blindly believing that the knowledge that the Avatar is a human one will keep the vengeful Crogs at bay?"

"You know nothing of this planet, young prince, our resources are spread thin as it is, we are still recovering in our war ships from the shock wave from the race a year ago; we are behind due to the complications that incident brought up." The president told the prince scornfully. Both Don and the prince were practically growling at the hologram now, but it seemed the president had one last method of making them angrier. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have important matters to attend to, ones with _reliable_ sources."

"Mr. President!" Don shouted at the thing, which was now beginning to crackle with static that meant the transfer was coming to an end. With a nonchalant farewell, the president disappeared, leaving a very disgruntled man and Nourasian in the dark of the office.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Ah, the president is such a pain…I never really thought too highly of him in the series, and frankly, I can see him getting headstrong just because there was a new human avatar. I could totally see him snubbing Aikka as well…Poor guy.. .:huggles Aikka:. So, then, what are they going to do now that the president's snubbed even Eva? And what will Aikka do now that Eva has been denied protection? We'll see next chapter, shall we? ;)

Oh, and happy year of the pig, everybody!


	8. Eva's Guardian

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **lol, real men wear pink. Heh, those who have seen my DA account since yesterday should probably get it. So, today I think I'm in a drawing mood, I've barely touched the computer! I got the first pic of Aikka's outfit that we've already read about done, not colored though. I'm contemplating if I should color it, cause right now it's just in pencil, which is cool, since it's mainly black and white, but I want to get the color in there too. So I guess I'll put it up as is, then give it color and put that up…Oh man I wish I had Photoshop!!

So, I'm glad that you guys agree with my portrayal of the wonderful president (his name is McMillan, right? I know he has a name, but I forgot it after a while)…I just got this idea of him when I was brainstorming for this story, and yeah, he totally comes off as a guy who'd get cocky about a human being the new avatar, so I made it so. Poor Jordan, he must be so thrilled about that…We'll see what our avatar shall do soon enough… .:shifty eyes:.

_crazyvegimab:_ Thanks for all the input! And I will see what I can manage with giving Aikka some Earthy or pastel colors. Still haven't finalized the second outfit. And video games, well, when I came up with that, I think I was a little bit Jonesing for the Nintendo Wii. Gah, video games…so addicting. It does seem like something the boys would get her, though. And I can see what you mean about the letters and jewelry; I was in jewelry class in high school (and boy do I miss it…playing with fire and such… Oo) The teacher always encouraged us to design something other than 'trendy' things, like hearts or stars and come up with our own designs…So, I guess I can see where you're coming from with that!

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _.:Joins you in the kicking of the president:. I totally agree, I vote for Rick. No offense to Don, but, seriously, it took him that long to even figure out that Molly was his daughter… A wee bit slow… As for Jordan, he will play a role in all of this mess, but I will not say how, as to not be spoilerific. I also could understand that the avatar would have to stay out of it, I mean really, if he pays too much attention to Earth, there'd be a fine line between giving them a hand or playing favorites. So in this case, the Creators, I think, would be keeping him on a bit of a leash so that he'd be able to keep at least some degree of peace, but not be all biased for Earth's favor. I'm sure if it were up to him, though, Jordan would have kicked the Crogs out of the galaxy as his first act as avatar!

_Shrouded View: _lol .:imagines a swarm of beetles charging after the president sometime in the night:. That'd be something…Aikka getting the beetles of Earth to do his bidding Oo XD Omg, you drew me something? Yay, pic trade! .:glomps:. I'll be looking for that, tell me when you get it in there!

_Sekai Nerah: _Yay, thanks! I know what you mean, I tried to draw my cat once when she was sleeping on my bed, but she started turning and changing positions, so I eventually just had to wing it…I have actually been contemplating since this story's conception whether to get Rush and his people in on this. Buddha knows that'd be a fun fight. I'm sure Rush would love to have a go at the Crogs if Jordan gave him the chance! XD But I still have some time in my plans to decide once and for all if planet Byrus gets involved…It remains to be seen, is all I can say at this point ;)

_Fushica, CrystalRose727, A13Van, thechickenlittle, and Star Fata: _I'll grab the pitchforks! Angry mob to…wherever the president in this story lives! Lol

_Crystal Persian: _Thanks and enjoy!

OMG, fluffiness ahoy! X3

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**-Chapter 8-**

**Eva's Guardian **

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"Mr. President!" Don shouted again at the communicator just as it flickered them both into darkness. With a growl, the man rubbed his temples, resisting the urge to hit the desk before him. This meeting had gone wrong in nearly every sense of the word. "That man's ignorance will be the destruction of us all…" Don muttered, while Aikka stared through the dark at the spot where the president had just been.

So that was it; Eva was denied protection, by the leader of her own planet. Not only that, but Don was right; the overconfidence of the president could prove perilous for the entirety of Earth. By refusing to heed their advice and up the planet's defenses, he was leaving the entire planet vulnerable to attack.

"That went well…" Rick said sarcastically, leaning into the door with a slight creak.

Aikka, meanwhile, was still staring at the communicator, though his hardened expression was softening gradually into one of thought. Though he'd come here to ensure Eva's safety, there was nothing now that really protected her, with the president turning his back on them. And Aikka would damn himself before he left without reassurance of her safety. But he was just recalling something, something about this communication technology. The Nourasians didn't have many objects such as this, as they were a people of arcane abilities; communication could be found through use of telepathy. But even with his learned and atoned ability at this power, he was too far from his planet to have it be of any use, if he were to indeed contact the palace.

Not unless there was a matching communicator in the palace. The Crogs had introduced them to technology such as this when they took over years ago, so perhaps…perhaps he had a chance.

"So what now?" Eva asked quietly from the door beside Rick as the light in the office was flicked on.

"I don't know…" Don said, just as quietly and with a flavor of angered defeat to his voice. He turned to Aikka, who was still in some thought. "I apologize, Aikka. For the president of our entire planet, he really is nothing of an ambassador."

Aikka nodded in understanding.

"No apology is necessary, there are those types in every race…" he said distractedly, his blue eyes still on the black suitcase before him. He turned to face his friend's father. "Though it is unfortunate that this type has the authority he does in such a time…" The prince underhandedly brought a hand to his bandaged side; all the commotion was causing it to act up again.

"But what can we do? I mean, that jerk is leaving us all wide open! We have to do something!" Eva chimed in, her own anger with the president finally coming out.

"There is nothing we can do at this point, Eva." Don said, sounding defeated. "Let us just hope that enough logic finds the president to at least ready something of a defense."

Eva didn't look satisfied, but exited the room anyway so her father could come through. Aikka was standing off to the side now, as Don passed him, heading out of the office. He cast another look to the communicator, and his idea nagged at him again.

"Hey, Prince, you comin', or what?" Rick called through the darkness. Aikka turned, finding the group looking at him curiously. With one last look to the communicator, he bit his lip nervously.

"I wonder if I could use this once more?" he asked Don Wei, who looked at him with increased question.

"I don't think it would be of much use, the president is sure to have shut off this line from him," he told the Nourasian slowly, not exactly sure on what the boy meant.

"I don't mean to contact him," Aikka said, shaking his head. "If there's a way to contact my home world, then this may be it. I'm not sure, but there may be a device such as this somewhere in the palace in Daalan."

Don looked at the other humans for a second, and then back to Aikka. Then he walked over to the desk, and pressed a series of buttons to connect to the line.

"It will ask who you wish to contact, just speak your destination and if it's possible, it will connect you." He told Aikka before heading back out the door. "Come on you lot, let's leave him to it," Don herded the others away from the door, and headed back to the kitchen. It was high time for dinner, and there were many to provide for tonight.

Aikka watched as the door was shut behind Rick, the last out of the room. He was left in the new darkness, with the red and green lights before him glowing onto his blue eyes. Indeed, the thing asked the same question as it had for Don earlier, and Aikka picked out his words.

"Please contact Daalan, royal city of Nourasia," He spoke clearly, despite the feeling that led him to believe his heart was beating in his throat. His anticipation rose as the light ring blinked red a few times, for what he saw as an eternity, before it finally blinked into a constant green state. Again, the lateral red beam shone at him up and down, and his heart began to race and pulse in his semi-healed side. The voice confirmed the call again, and above the hologram creator, the air flickered with static.

"Hello?" An astounded voice called through the device, sounding as much familiar as it was frazzled and defensive. "Hello? Who is this? State your business!"

"Canaan, it's me," Prince Aikka smiled, glad to see his master was still alive and well, though he could hardly see him for the static that played across his image.

"Prince Aikka!" Canaan's face seemed to be frantic, but pleased. The holographic fencing master sank into a bow before the prince. "Prince, we feared the worst of you! Where in the name of the Creators are you? And how did you get a hold of one of these confounded devices?"

"First of all, is it safe to speak? I won't be overheard by any enemies when I next speak, will I?" Aikka asked seriously and with a narrowing of his crystal eyes. That was the last thing he needed; a Crog to overhear his whereabouts and send an armada in the direction of Earth, now that it was so decidedly unprotected.

"I assure you Prince, there is no other in the vicinity," Canaan spoke quickly. "Now what has happened to you?"

"Aside from a few wounds, I am fine; I escaped to Earth," Aikka practically smiled at the hologram. "And an old friend happened to have one of these devices, I am relieved to see that there is one in the palace after all." Canaan seemed to stare for a second as the words sank in.

"Earth? Prince, what are you doing on that planet when there is a war!?" Canaan's voice crackled slightly with static. "The king and queen are wrought with worry,"

"Canaan, please, I will explain myself." Aikka interrupted, waving a hand in front of him. "When we were first attacked, General Kross came after me personally. He then threatened Molly, and so I made it here with G'dar to warn her and her planet's leader, though he is in denial that there is any danger."

"That Earth girl, is it?" Canaan's heavy eyebrow rose slightly at the prince. "That racer you took a liking to during the races?" Aikka looked away; _this_ conversation, again.

"Yes, Canaan, she is in danger. Kross will be looking to eliminate her because of the role she played in the races, both as my friend and the winner." Outside, Eva leaned next to the door again, a plate of vegetables in her hands. So he had gotten connected after all.

"Aikka, I told you that befriending that girl was trouble," Canaan was heard, while his hologram was shaking his head. "It has put us in even deeper peril with the Crogs,"

"And letting Kross take the Ultimate Prize would not have spelt our demise?!" Aikka asked haughtily. "I assure you, I do not regret having ever befriended Molly, and I will not stand idly by to let her be destroyed!" At this, Canaan went quiet. He could tell, even through the heavy static that was on his end, the prince was not in the mood to have this lecture on his relationship with Molly again. Eva stared at her food humbly; she'd never heard Aikka as adamant as she had today. Leastwise about her.

"I apologize, my prince," Canaan said, his hologram sinking into a bow. The Elder's hard eyes met up with Aikka's again, a serious look on his face. Aikka sighed, and then spoke again.

"Now, I have a dilemma on my hands, Canaan, I am in need of guidance." His cerulean eyes opened again. "Tell me, how is the situation in Daalan?" Canaan, glad to be away from the subject of the human girl that he was certain Aikka had fallen for, responded quickly and professionally.

"The Crog armies are beginning to grow thinner, but we are not letting out guard down. There have been numerous casualties, both civilian and knight, and parts of the palace have been collapsed, parts of the city have been in flames. But for the most part, the Crogs appear to be on the retreat, and the damage is being tended to." Canaan summarized. Eva poked around at her food, finding the newest bit of news a bit harrowing. Aikka apparently had the same thoughts. Why would the Crog armies be on the retreat?

"Our finest mages are forming the protective shield on the city, as the Crogs retreat, and we hope that this will help," Canaan added, while the prince seemed to be in thought. "So, what is this dilemma of yours, young prince? Did you not say you needed guidance?"

"Ah, yes," Aikka said, being snapped back to reality. He massaged his injury a bit, and took in breath. "I, along with Molly's father, spoke to the president of Earth earlier this evening, yet he denies that there is any threat to his planet, and denies any protection to be offered to Molly." Canaan nodded, deciding not to say anything of Molly for the time being. "My problem is that I do not wish to leave Molly unprotected, though I also do not wish to abandon my kingdom. And I accept that I cannot be on two fronts, if war is to come to Earth,"

Eva sank a little on the wall. She had enjoyed having Aikka there with her the whole day, but she just now realized how hard it had probably been for him. Being torn apart from his people in such a time, and all to protect her. She'd never felt so appreciative, nor so guilty.

"Well, prince, you know I would advise you to remain true to your kingdom," Aikka's eyes focused on the hologram, waiting for the rest, while Eva held an expectant breath. "But, it seems that you have already made your mind up."

Aikka merely stared at the fencing master for a brief while, and the elder gave a laugh.

"Aikka, though I don't really approve of this whole Earth girl business, the situation here is not dire," Canaan told the boy with a bit of a grimace. "Our knights are holding their own, and perhaps it would be wise for you to lay low since you are the main target of the Crogs' invasion. We cannot be left without an heir to the throne." Aikka nodded, agreeing with this, recalling himself as saying the same thing back during the races.

"What about my parents?" Aikka asked after a little thought.

"They are safe within the walls of the holy city, and under heavy guard, though, as I said, they fear the worst of you," Canaan told the prince through another bout of static.

"Tell them I am safe, but…" Aikka made a last minute consideration of his decision, before turning purposefully to Canaan again. "I am choosing to remain on Earth, if only for a time, to ensure Molly's safety."

"Very well," Eva heard Canaan's hesitant answer coming from the room. She stared listlessly at the ground, wondering. Did Aikka know what he was doing? Was it really alright for him to choose her over his kingdom? What would his parents, the king and queen, have to say about it?

She was brought out of her silent debate by the sound of footsteps coming from the office beside her, and she suddenly panicked. The footsteps got closer, and she realized she'd been eavesdropping again, so, holding her plate close to her, she hurried off down the hallway towards the kitchen.

Aikka came out of the door just in time to notice another presence in the hallway, one that had apparently just escaped before he could catch sight of its source. He sensed it as a sort of anxiety filled aura, which led him to worry.

"Molly?" he asked the vacant hallway quietly, his crystal blue eyes scanning for the girl. Had she heard some of the conversation between himself and his master? What was the anxiety he was sensing? He suddenly became a bit more worried.

He found the other men in the kitchen, each with a plate of food in front of them, eating and talking. Rick was sipping a can of something, leaning against the kitchen island. The others were seated at the table. There was one absent, though, the one he was really looking for.

"How'd it go, kid?" Rick said, noticing the Nourasian in the doorway. Aikka looked at him distractedly, while he saw Don turn in his seat to give him a glance.

"Ah, it went fine," Aikka said, before turning to Don. "Mr. Wei, I have spoken with my master, and I've come to a decision," Don nodded with an expectant look. "I would like to offer my service to protect Eva. The Crogs seem to be on the retreat on my planet, but I fear that could mean that they are only spreading their numbers. I cannot say how much I can do, but I will defend your daughter until my last breath."

Don looked wide eyed at the Nourasian who was now sinking to a knee before him, as he had so done back on Oban when pledging himself directly to Eva. Stan and Koji exchanged smiling glances, both recalling that same happening. Rick smiled to himself at the sight of the prince offering himself for her protection. There had to be something beyond friendship that made him so faithful to the girl. Don, while Rick made his own musings, stood up before the prince, who looked up with determined blue eyes.

"Very well. You did a fair job of protecting my daughter during the final confrontation on Oban, I expect the same from you this time around." Don told the prince in his old, professional tone, the one he so often used in lecturing Eva and Jordan after or before a race. Aikka nodded his understanding quickly, knowing that he expected even more than that of himself. "You are welcome to the living room during your stay, I'm afraid we don't have any extra rooms," Don informed the prince while setting his now-empty plate on the counter behind Rick on his way out. Aikka got quickly to his feet.

"I understand, thank you, sir," the Nourasian guest said, giving another bow to the man who disappeared back down the hallway that had led to his office. With the now absence of Don Wei, Aikka was left with the other three men.

"Hey, welcome to the team, Prince," Stan said sociably from the kitchen table, lifting a cup of soda to him. Aikka smiled at the gesture, but there was something still missing. Rick, who apparently could tell exactly what, or rather, who, Aikka was thinking about, tapped the Nourasian on the shoulder from behind.

Blue eyes met glinting sunglasses, and the older human pointed with a thumb towards the back door, the one he recalled having gone out of when the whole talk of the evening had begun. He tipped his head in a nod to Rick, and headed over, finding the outside world dark as he silently pulled the door open and stepped out.

Peering around the deck, he noticed it was empty in the artificial light on the wall. Walking to the railing, he saw, not too far below, a wooden structure, that seemed to be a table complete with a bench on either side. And on the table, sat a familiar girl, leaning back on her hands and staring at the sky.

Aikka looked over his shoulder to the house, before heading for a stair way that would lead him down to the grassy ground. Very quietly, he took the six steps that were there, and padded in his quiet sandals over to the table. Eva sensed him coming, but made no move to indicate that she did. And Aikka somehow noticed this decided absence of awareness, as he looked at her moon-bathed form on his way over.

"There is something bothering you," his voice came quietly, in not so much a question as a statement.

When she didn't pay him a response, he moved from beside her to in front of her, a measured distance away from her legs, which he observed were swinging off the side of the table in a rather childlike manner. Despite his move, her eyes remained glued to the sky. Aikka cast his glance upward to catch what could be so fascinating to her, finding a large orb of silver; the Earth moon, joined by many blinking stars.

"For a while now, I've been wondering, which one of those stars could possibly be your planet. And I'd sit here on nights, and wonder when you'd surprise me with a visit, when I'd be able to see you again." She said out of the darkness, bringing Aikka's eyes back to her from the view of the universe. "I would _wish_ for you to come. Aside from racing, finally being with my dad, nothing really has been…fun. Since leaving you and Jordan, I really haven't had any friends." Her legs ceased their careless kicking, and her eyes grew a little sadder, Aikka could still see it, even in the silver light supplied by the moon.

"But now, you're here, you're really here," she finally paid him a look, only to turn away her gaze again. "And I just feel guilty." Aikka tilted his head at her with this statement.

"Why should you feel guilty, Molly?" he asked her gently, coming a bit closer to her.

"Because I'm keeping you from your people, didn't your master tell you that much?" Eva said a bit roughly, though with enough sadness to balance it out. Aikka knew enough about her to know that she wasn't actually as hostile as her tone suggested. "You should be with your people, defending them, not me. Why would you choose me over your kingdom? What do you owe me that's more important than your kingdom?"

"Molly, do not speak so lowly of yourself!" Aikka said quickly, his voice raised only a bit, before she could get anything more out. Ruby eyes stared widely at him, and he noticed he'd taken another few steps towards her, leaving them only a foot apart. His eyes still bored into hers, desperate to make her understand; couldn't she see how much she really meant to him? Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Aikka continued quietly.

"My choice is mine to make. Not my father's, and not my master's. Though I am a prince, I have my own life, my own code to follow. And though I owe my allegiance to my planet, I also owe my loyalty and protection to my friends. And Molly," He made sure her eyes were still connected to his, lifting her chin gently between his fingers. "You are my dearest and truest friend. Abandoning you is _not_ an option."

Eva felt her stomach tighten somewhere halfway up her throat, though she couldn't label it as a bad feeling. She could only guess that right now her face was lighting up in its pink tint yet again. It seemed to be happening quite frequently. She could only hope that the silver of the moonlight would compliment it…or better yet, hide it. She could see, along with sincerity, a look bordering determination in his blue eyes, which also seemed to exude light that they weren't even receiving in the first place.

"But…" Eva began, almost inaudibly, before Aikka placed a delicate finger on her lips, causing her to stop before the sentence even began.

"No 'buts', Princess. It is too late for you to send me away so easily." He smiled playfully at her. "You recall on Oban, when I pledged my bow and sword to you?" Eva nodded; how could she have forgotten that day, that gesture? "Well, that pledge still stands, and has been already been renewed tonight. Your president may leave you to be defenseless, but as long as I am here, you will not go unprotected."

Eva gave a sigh and a smile, knowing there would be no arguing with the prince. Aikka matched her for the smile, as soon as he saw she was past fighting his offer. He enjoyed how the girl's smile looked on her, and he was exceedingly glad he'd brought it back. She scooted to the side on the table, inviting him to take the new space next to her. Aikka gladly took it, and took to watching the skies again. After a little while of companionable silence, Eva turned a grin to the prince.

"So, you really think I'm that defenseless?" she asked him, playfully, an eyebrow cocked at him. Aikka responded with a grin of his own.

"Well, I am correct in my assumption that you once tried to fight off Grooor with, what was it…a plank?" he smiled slyly at her. Eva looked at him blankly for a second. He'd seen that stroke of genius, had he?

"Actually, it was a stick, but I could have totally taken him," she said, crossing her arms across her chest and sitting straight up to make herself a little taller on the table. At this, Aikka gave a laugh, truly amused by her behavior.

"Well, what about yesterday's little encounter with those other humans?" Aikka suggested. "It didn't seem that you were doing so well then either!" Eva gave him a sideways look, sticking out her tongue at the same time.

"Well then, you apparently didn't see me before they had me pinned; I was kicking all of their butts! And that's pretty good, considering there was five of 'em!" Aikka laughed again, the whole exchange between them being like nothing he'd ever experienced with any of his other friends. "What, you don't believe me?" Eva then said at his teasing look.

"No, no I believe you," Aikka told her honestly, his laughing smile still evident on his face. "I just believe you have a lot to learn about fighting,"

"Oh, really?" Eva said quickly, leaping off the table. Aikka looked at her as she stood directly in front of him, staring him down. "And I bet you could teach me?"

Blinking, Aikka stared back at her. Eva had to resist the strong urge to laugh at the expression he was giving her, one of wide blue eyes and utter surprise.

"Me…teach you?" he said, somewhat blankly. Eva nodded, the grin reappearing on her face.

"Yeah, unless you don't think you could do it, that is," she told him slyly, crossing her arms again. Aikka sat in silence for a second, then laughed once more. It certainly felt good to do so; he'd never laughed like this with anyone but Eva.

"You really do speak like a Nourasian," he told her proudly, shifting himself off of the wooden table. Blue eyes glinted at her as his feet met with the grass below. "If you are really willing to be my student, I would be glad to take you under my charge, Earth Princess,"

With that, he held out his fist again, and didn't have to wait long for Eva to match it, a wide smile on her face. Their eyes met in united determination, much reminiscent of the very first time they'd connected this way.

It didn't take long though, for the connection of their eyes to get to the Nourasian, though. Once more, he found how close they were to one another, with each of them leaning their competitive looks towards the other. He suddenly felt something other than teasing competitiveness surfacing within him. It was some feeling that would have been considered alien to him, had he not had a taste of it when he was on Oban, something that made him want to bring himself closer. Their history together as friends had brought them closer in this moment, but he couldn't allow this new feeling get the better of him.

So, with one last smile to her, the prince turned back towards the stairs of the back deck.

"Your first lesson is tomorrow morning, Princess, I suggest you rest,"

Eva stared after him, almost wondering what had brought the exchange so abruptly to an end. He'd turned away without any proper warning, and it was intriguing her. She admitted that she didn't want to go to bed just yet, she wanted to stay up longer, and, if truth be told, she had been hoping that he'd sit with her longer, perhaps even try to search for his planet with her.

She supposed she just wanted to spend time with the prince. She admitted to herself that this wasn't the first time she'd wanted more out of their exchanges. And she admitted that something about him always left her intrigued, and yearning for more insight into the real Prince Aikka.

Most of all, she admitted to herself that she had always had a crush on the Nourasian, even if she did try to hide it from him in particular. She'd always, if only vaguely, wondered if anything could ever come of her little crush, even part of her wanted something to happen, though she'd deny it if ever confronted by suspicion.

Even so, now that Aikka had surrendered himself to the night, she really had no point in staying up. Well, she had homework, but Eva was much more of a procrastinator in that area in particular, much to no one's surprise. With a glance up to the moon, she thought once more on Aikka's distance from her, even earning a blush from herself as she wished he'd just sit and star-gaze with her.

She supposed, now that he was her official guardian, there would be other nights that she'd be able to get him out there with her.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Aw, the angsty fluffiness…gotta love it. I was actually amused when I was concocting the bit about Canaan answering the prince's call, I could just see him fumbling with the thing, trying to figure out how the heck it works! Probably would have scared the crap out of him when it rang, or whatever those devices do, too! Lol. So, there ya have it, Molly has her prince to protect her now! .:squee:. X3 The next chapter actually belongs to Stan and Koji. 'Tis a change of pace, but it will add an important piece to the story, not to mention all the Stan/Koji goodness! Woot!

Whoa, I'm starting to catch up to my self between posting and typing, I should get busy! Love ya's, Ja ne!


	9. The Mourning of Mechanics

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Oh man, it is so hard to concentrate on doing your homework when it's _so damn easy_! I can't stand working on the drivel for more than half an hour at a time, especially when I can be spending my time drawing or writing!…Man…

Anyway, I think it's high time I bring in the Stan and Koji goodness! About this chapter. For the consideration of any who are Shonen-Ai/yaoi and or Stan/Koji intolerant, I have only barely implied any romance between these two, using only the simplest of gestures to convey the possible romance between them that I think is totally awesome and sweet, having loved the pairing since I very first saw the show. And believe me, it was hard; I was tempted to let the little Yaoi Fan-girl in my head run off her leash…but I resisted, for your sake. Be grateful! Rawr! It's also kinda to keep the focus on Aikka and Eva's developing relationship, so…a little consideration for the story itself, as well. But anyway, there are gestures during this chapter, so, make what you will of them, ne? ;)

Though at the same time, I gotta wonder if there's anyone at all who doesn't see these two as a couple…?

And yeah, the bit in the beginning is about Aikka and Eva…to be honest, I didn't know where else to put it, and Satis the cat had to be introduced, and the idea of Aikka meeting a fluffy Earth creature in these circumstances was simply too good to pass up, once I got it into my head. Also, there's the new outfit you guys have been waiting for! I'll get to drawing it out as well.

_Crazyvegimab: _I had to bring him in somewhere, now, didn't I? And, my, he seems to have a fanbase! And I'm very tempted to draw a little piece that conveys his very confusion about the odd technology…hmmm…Oo oh, which of your stories did I inadvertently copy? Haah, gomen about that….:Sweatdrop:. o.o Stan to Koji desu! Kawaii!! .:gets the sparkly eyes as well:.

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _I could see him coming to Earth too, really O.o kind of over protective of the prince…though I can understand that, as he is the heir…Yep, Molly would have the awesome bow and arrow skills, and the evil laugh to back it up! .:puts a 'Vote for Rick' t-shirt on:. I made t-shirts! XD lol…And I agree whole-heartedly, Jordan is a very unlucky one…It was comical during the show, but now it's very sad…Being torn away from Eva and everyone, really…That would _suck!_ in my humble opinion.

_Shrouded View: _Personally, I do too…I prefer stories that work their way up to romance, and kind of tease at it a few times before the characters actually give in to each other…I guess I'm a masochist in that sense…lol…that just sounds strange Oo…and I think Rick would be amused, and or proud that the prince is teaching her…as you can tell, I'm making it so Rick has some insight to the two of them's real feelings, he's probably having a grand time watching them dance around each other and their feelings. I can totally see that happening. I was inspired when he grinned at Eva, who was at the time, beaming at Aikka for having won against Spirit in "Make Way"… I just thought that was adorable. Oh, yes, I will have to go check out DA in the near future….:glomps Rick for his mad insight skills:.

_Sekai Nerah: _Nope, no kissing for the happy couple yet…They still got some way to go…And as for Stan and Koji…Woot! Love these guys. The show gave them an episode to their own adventure, so I thought I'd do the same. Glad you like:heart:heart:

_Yami Apprentice: _Aw, thank you! .:bows:. Yes, it is my firm-standing belief that Aikka and Molly are the couple that should prevail…I accept that Jordan's got it bad for her, but throughout watching the show, Molly's led me to believe that she doesn't feel the same about him…but Aikka…I dunno, the signs are just there:heart: I love those two…

_Thechickenlittle: _I totally agree! I love Aikka, and Molly totally brings out his other side. I mean, before her, his life was probably rigid prince training, not much time for fun, but with Molly, he can actually let loose and laugh. It's so sweet! And, yeah, I think it's safe to say that Molly's temper isn't that elusive…this story isn't any exception. We shall see, ne? ;) Arigatou for the reviews!

_Frubaforever: _Oh, I know…our choice of presidents is just wonderous…Hopefully by 2083, though, we'll have better choices…Well, one can hope, right? Ack…Who wants to move to Nourasia with me?? .:starts a list:.

_Star Fata:_ I love the plank…I was laughing my a$$ off when she tried to do that, honestly. A stick…versus a big, mean guy made of metal stronger than iron. Hmm. Good thing Aikka jumped in, though! I'm glad you liked my utilization of Molly's choice of weaponry! .:bows, then picks up her pitchfork:. Now, onward!

_Molly-92: _yep, he's her guardian! X3 I love how he gave his bow and sword to her in the show, but I really hate how he was pretty much unconscious for the majority of the confrontation… .:smacks Canaletto for knocking the prince out of the fight:. _Bad_ vulture…Thank you for your review and your support!

_A13Van: _Not only that, but they look good together! Rawr! My gods, they're so cute… .:watches as Van hops around:. Ah, here's the update! Lol

_IchigoKitsuneKoumori: _In the story, or real life? …or perhaps _both_! I'd have to agree with the latter. .:nods:. And thanks for both your reviews, I didn't catch the one from chapter 7 in time to include it in the last shout out:)

_Fushica: _Arigatou! I'm really just a big, fluffy sap, it seems! Lol XD Prepare thyself for the intermission of (implied) Stan/Koji fluffiness!

_Crystal Persian: _Yay! Here it is! Thank you muchly for the regular reviewing!

And I completely winged it on Stan and Koji's pasts, as well as relationships to Miguel, so yeah. It just always occurred to me that Miguel and Stan looked somewhat alike(it's the tans, really), so I just utilized that:)

Let there be Stan/Koji-ness! XD

**--**

**-Chapter 9-**

**The Mourning of Mechanics**

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The next morning, a Sunday, by the Earthen calendar, came just like any day, with orange light creeping steadily into the Wei household from the East. It peeked through whatever openings it could get through, all the spaces between curtains and vertical blinds. In the living room, a streak of this light gradually headed for the couch, and with time, fell on a collection of loose auburn hair, spread over a generously stuffed pillow and the armrest of the furniture.

Aikka, still dazed with sleep, brought a hand to his head, after a while of the sun shining on it, warming it upon his head. He had apparently missed the dawn of the day; he was still very muddled with sleep, now that he hadn't too much protest from his wound, nor any nightmarish situations completely fresh in his mind to hinder him from getting to sleep. Not to mention, the Earth day, he found, was a bit longer than his own. The longer day, plus all that had happened in the time since he had last slept soundly had succeeded in taking some energy out of the Nourasian.

Tugging his hand through some tangles, he gave a low sigh, finding the air escaping him quite easily. The new sensation that brought him further out of his sleep, was the feeling of something, some foreign weight on his stomach, which was in turn, putting a limit on his intake of air. Not only that, it seemed to be animate, alive, perhaps, as it thrummed in a deep vibration, one that he could also hear.

With a slight moan for his drowsiness, Aikka urged his eyes open, set on finding out what exactly was opposing his breathing. What he found, appeared to be some sort of black ball, indeed breathing, and comprised of what looked like short, fine-looking hair, the color of perfect black. His breath caught in his chest, but the black ball of fluff didn't seem to care or even notice, for the thrumming that seemed to emanate from it continued all the stronger.

Blue eyes became wider the more he looked at the thing, a creature of Earth, he could only figure, wondering what it was, and why it was situated as it was. What was it doing inside the house as well? Were the Wei's aware of it?

Easing himself onto his elbow, slowly, as not to disturb the creature too much, Aikka kept an eye on the thing. His movement, however, did not go unnoticed, and the ball revealed itself as more than just a ball of fluff; it turned a head to him, a rather curious looking thing to the Nourasian, with large, yellow eyes that were just as sleep-filled as his were, and large, upward pointing ears. Aikka froze as the little creature opened its mouth in a truly gaping yawn, revealing several pointed teeth, and a textured tongue. So, it was a carnivore, Aikka knew by the looks of those teeth.

At that, the animal rearranged itself, uncoiling itself from its ball to reveal its true shape; a four legged body with an extending tail, which was in the shape of a silky bottlebrush. Black wasn't the only color the animal sported, for the white fur that played on its nose, chest and the end of its tail. Cocking its head slightly at the prince, it wore a cute little look that would suit a child.

Aikka smiled, suddenly realizing that this creature didn't seem to mean him any harm, and lifted a hand, slowly, in attempt to stroke the creature's fur. It looked at his hand, and was instantly eager for its arrival, leaning forward to greet it with some nuzzling. Aikka couldn't help but laugh at the sensations of fur that felt softer than it looked against his hand, nor the fact that the creature was actually insisting in his attention.

"His name is Satis," a familiar voice came from behind the prince, and turning, he saw the Earth princess standing at the foot of the stairs, leaning against the wall and smiling amusedly at the prince's interaction with her cat.

"Satis?" Aikka asked quizzically, recalling just exactly who else he'd known named as such. Eva nodded, coming next to him and sitting on the coffee table, in nothing more than a t-shirt and the oversized boxer shorts she wore to bed.

"Yeah, I didn't know what to call him at first, but he seriously wouldn't leave me alone sometimes, just like the real Satis, so I decided to name him after the old squid." Eva picked Satis the cat up and off of the prince's chest, careful not to bring the creature's claws into the equation. Aikka, now relieved of the burden on his chest, pulled his blanket up and off of his legs, taking to his hair.

Eva smiled, and left Satis sitting on the table, and headed back up to the second floor to change into her own clothes. When she next came down, Aikka was already redressed, this time in the second outfit, a simple, but well-fitting top of a few shades of played-down green, long sleeved and with a collar that was wide and set on the Nourasian's shoulders. The barely visible streak of a scar was just visible with the shirt, though Aikka checked every now and then to cover the new mark with the supple material of the black shirt. This time, his pants were not of denim, but a more agile material, a well-made, khaki colored fabric that would be flexible enough to suit his purposes. Eva smiled again at the choice in clothing, before retrieving some things for them to eat for breakfast.

"So, where shall we have our first lesson, Princess?" Aikka asked, leaning on the kitchen doorway, smiling at the girl who was currently digging various things out of the refrigerator. She lifted from her stoop and returned the smile.

"Well, I'd rather have it out in the back yard, but dad wants me to stay at the garage. Wants me close by, you know?" Eva said, turning now to the stove, and setting up a skillet on a burner. "He told me to come by for the day when you woke up. We'll just have some breakfast and go, then!" she suddenly paused, her hands holding an egg in mid-air. "Uh, how do you feel about eggs?" she asked him awkwardly, suddenly realizing that she really didn't have a clue as to what to cook for him. Aikka blinked, but smiled with a slight laugh.

"I like them just fine, and I'd be glad to try Earth's version," he told her assuredly, coming up to watch the preparation process. The eggs in the pan sizzled along, while Eva prepared two slices of bread in the toaster. Soon, both parts were ready, and both the young human and Nourasian were seated at the table, while Aikka tasted Eva's creation. Chewing modestly, he then smiled at her, finding the food to be every bit as good as his own people's recipes were. True, it had a different taste, but not only was that to be expected, but it never meant that it wouldn't be as good.

"It's great," Eva was glad to hear him say this, she'd never cooked to impress anyone but her father before, much less a prince who was probably used to being treated to only the best. As Aikka took another bite, she decided to finally allow herself to eat her own breakfast. The two continued on like this in a pleasant silence, and both ended up well-fed as they headed out for the Wei's hangar.

--

"Hey, dad, we're here!" Eva's voice echoed through the hangar, which was currently busy with some mechanics working and testing some star racers. The whole Wei enterprise was doing more testing than usual, as the Grand Prix was up and coming. Eva of course would be the star pilot, however reluctant a choice that was for Don, but the chosen star racer was more difficult. She didn't really have a favorite racer when it came to the three ships in the garage, she used them all.

"H-hey, Eva," Koji said groggily, coming down from the stairs where his and Stan's bunks were. Aikka, meanwhile, wondered off momentarily to see how his mount was faring. "Don's in his office, so I don't know if he's heard you come in,"

"Thanks, Koji," Eva said, slapping her half-awake friend on the shoulder and running past him to go up the stairs, past an equally drowsy Stan.

The larger mechanic came up next to Koji, two mugs of steaming coffee in tow. Blowing off some steam off of one, he handed his companion the other.

"Well, our job should be easy today; all these guys workin' on everything, I wonder if Don'll even need us…" Stan mumbled, sticking a hand into the pocket of his blue jeans. Koji, meanwhile, scratched at a spot under his t-shirt and yawned.

"Technically, we shouldn't even be working, right? I mean we're visiting, we don't work for Mr. Wei anymore," Koji asked quizzically.

"Hmm, not right now, but you remember why else we came here, don't you?" Stan said.

"With Miguel retiring, we'll be out of work." Koji supplied with a nod. "But how do we just ask him for a job? I mean, how do we bring it up?" Stan took another swig of coffee, before catching sight of the Weis coming down the steps.

"Shouldn't be too hard," the dark eyed man said, going up to meet Don Wei, with a suddenly very nervous Koji following behind him.

"Stan, Koji," Don requested before the muscular Stan could open his mouth. Both the young mechanics stopped before the man, expectantly, and a bit surprised. Don raised his hand to give them something, and they all then became aware that he was holding an envelope. "This came for you both this morning, while you were asleep." He said professionally.

Koji made the move to take it from the manager's hand, and took a look at the thing. It looked serious, business like, even; the mailing address read 'Mr.s Stan and Koji.' But he recognized the return address.

"It's from Miguel!" he proclaimed, earning a look of shock from Stan as well. Miguel was like family to them, so why would he have formalized a letter to the two? And even then, why would he be writing to them in the first place? They were only visiting for a few days…

Tearing open the thing, Koji began reading, instantly recognizing that the neat and steady writing was not the same chicken scratch that they knew as being Miguel's writing. Stan positioned himself to better see over his partner's slim shoulder, and read down the letter.

Though, he stopped reading as he felt Koji's breath catch in his chest. Matching his eyes as much as he could to where Koji was looking, he suddenly realized why.

"Hey, Koji, you alright?" Eva asked, concerned, as Aikka joined with the group. Koji didn't look up, just stared with wide, unblinking eyes at the words before him. "Is something wrong?"

"Miguel…He's…He…" Koji struggled to produce the word that came next, partially out of not wanting to. Stan noticed his friend's struggle, and thought fast, grabbing the paper gently from his friend and setting a hand on his shoulder.

"He's retiring," Stan said, acting as if he were actually reading it from the page. Behind the paper, though, his dark eyes met with Koji's confused ones. Wordlessly, he assured his partner, as well as giving him a look as if to say 'play along.' "He's been talking about it for a while, now, but he's made it final." He indicated the paper.

Aikka and Eva exchanged looks, but apparently bought it. Don Wei, however, didn't look as sold, and gave both mechanics a slight look of skepticism. Stan caught this, and looked back at the sheet in his hands, finding the lines that were taking as much a toll on him as they were on Koji, though he didn't show it. Reading on, though, he found another bit of information, one he called Koji's attention to.

"I don't believe it…he's giving us…?" He looked with wide eyes at his friend, as if in question if he was really reading the paper correctly. Stan nodded dumbly, his eyes all the wider.

"The Phantom…" Stan's voice was quiet, but he had a slight smile on his face, albeit a bit of a sad one. Eva looked from Koji to Stan, who quickly explained. "It's our new star racer, we've been working on it for the past year, using what we learned from the races to make it better then the Arrows!"

At that, Eva suddenly became all the more interested.

"Better than the Arrow III?" she asked quietly, as if not daring to believe it. Stan folded up the paper and settled it into his pocket, but had a fond expression on his face, for the memory of both the Arrow and the new racer.

"Definitely, it's smoother, stronger, and it should be faster, though we haven't had a good enough pilot to test that out yet," Stan smiled toward Eva, who lit up at the implication of driving one of Stan and Koji's creations. "If Don will have us again, I'm sure we can get it over here, since we'll be out of work by the end of the day," Stan suggested, looking to Don Wei for an answer. The older man, in return, glanced from him, to Koji, then to Eva, who seemed to be begging him to offer them a job more than the boys themselves were.

"You boys will always have a place here in my garage," Don nodded, earning looks of joy from both of them as well as Eva. He couldn't help but think that there was more to this supposed 'retirement' of their boss, but he also sensed that they really didn't have anywhere else to go. Not to mention the business end of his reason; if he didn't agree to hire them, they would have to find some other mechanic to grace with their expert skills and a top of the line race craft. "Who knows, perhaps this new 'Phantom,' as you called it, will be our next winning racer."

"You mean, the Grand Prix?" Eva said excitedly, imagining piloting such a racer.

"If its owners are willing," Don nodded, turning and heading towards the stairway again. Turning as he touched the railing, Don caught Stan's eye in one of his fierce gazes. "Boys, do what you must do today, that's your first order." His obsidian eyes, he hoped, drilled the message in as much more meaning than the words had carried.

He had enough instinct as a racing manager to know when someone was lying to him, but he had gained enough compassion over the past year to know, that sometimes there are perfectly viable reasons for those lies. If he hadn't learned that from his experience with his daughter taking on another identity just to make them a family again, there would be no hope for him. Stan and Koji, he knew, would have to come to terms with…whatever it was, on their own. Whether they would share would be their decision and on their own time.

Stan and Koji both caught some shred of this meaning from Don's look, and exchanged glances. It was a side of Don they'd never seen before. A compassionate Don, telling them to 'do what they had to,' instead of working; Oban and Alwas had never been graced with such a sight. They could somehow tell he knew something was faulty about Stan's hurried interception of Koji's explanation.

"Do what we gotta do, eh, Koj?" Stan said quietly, after Aikka and Eva had congratulated them on being the newest members of the Wei team and wandered off. Koji reverted back into the sort of mild shock he'd been in while reading the letter. Stan pulled out the paper, and stared at it, not bothering to unfold it to find some assaulting words again, and then sighed. "Well, guess we better go get dressed…" he said, pulling the distraught Koji with an arm draped around his shoulder and his mug of coffee along towards their bunk room.

There were indeed things that had to be done.

--

Dressing had been a slow and unusually arduous task, for the both of them. Once hidden behind their door, even Stan's fake 'everything is fine' look had fallen to the floor as he himself sank onto his bed. Koji seemed to be standing dead on his feet the whole time, sifting distractedly through the small suitcase full of his clothes he'd packed for their visit to the Weis. Nothing he had seemed to fit the event though. Nothing was black, the color he so desperately needed. Black was the only color that would suit the occasion, the only color that would be respectful.

Stan had finished first, and let himself wordlessly wrap his arms around Koji from behind, who was still standing in nothing but a pair of the most untainted jeans he had brought with him and his undershirt, staring at the two shirts he'd narrowed it down to, a blue button-up, or a darker green T-shirt. While the button-up looked more formal and serious, the T-shirt was of a darker color, thus closer on the spectrum to black.

Without a word, Stan grabbed the blue article and handed it to his companion.

"You look better in this one," the larger mechanic had said, reclaiming his arms to allow Koji to dress.

Now, sitting on the bus and reflecting, Koji pondered on things. When Stan had said that, as if just in regular conversation, he wondered how he could do it. Though the sound of his voice told him, Stan was just as lost for what to do or say or think as he was. This was taking its toll on Stan, though as the characteristically tougher young man, he was doing his best to keep it out of sight, unlike Koji.

It was funny, he mused, how there were so many different ways that people dealt with tragedy, and got over their emotions.

There were those who wore them on their sleeves, that would definitely be the type that Eva was, for how expressive she was. There were people who were usually calm, but a little more drastic when it came to extreme emotion. That could be Rick; he remembered how he'd reacted when he'd been given the devastating news that he'd never race again.

Then there were those who simply couldn't show it, probably Prince Aikka was one of those, he thought; it was well known, even on Earth, that royalty had to keep their emotion out of their affairs of running their kingdom. Listening to him yesterday as he told off the president without raising his voice made that clear.

Then there were the types who simply didn't want to show their real emotions, for dignity, or to appear like they were on top of everything. It was a pride thing. Well, that was Stan, Koji knew. And Koji, well, he labeled himself as the 'shock' category, those who don't know how to react. He was dominated by his emotion right now, but it was a quiet one, one that had kept him in virtual silence the whole morning. He didn't bother hiding his sadness, and every once in a while, he'd feel a faint drop run down his cheek and not really bother to wipe it away.

Stan, though, wouldn't show anything either way. He simply stared out the window at the passing landscape, as if it were any other bus ride. He was probably the opposite of Koji, for that reason among others. He supposed opposites really did attract.

Stan suddenly shifted, bringing Koji out of his thoughts. The tanned mechanic was now leaning back on the seat, staring at the ceiling of the bus. Sighing, Koji leant back himself.

"I can't believe he's really gone," he said quietly, finally breaking his morning of silence.

"Well, he was old, Koji, and the good thing is, he went peacefully," Stan murmured, closing his eyes. "I just can't believe they waited so long to tell us, by now we've even missed the funeral. Jerks ever hear of a telephone?!"

"Stan, aren't 'they' your aunt and uncles?" Koji turned slightly to look at his partner. Stan merely crossed his arms defiantly.

"Yeah, and so was Miguel. They _know_ how close I was to him! He was more like a father to me!" his voice was quiet, but angered. This time it was Koji's turn to put an arm around Stan.

He knew how close uncle and nephew were, Stan had lived with Miguel as his guardian for as long as he could remember knowing Stan. In fact, it was probably even before having met Koji that Stan had come to live there, when his parents died while he was such a young age.

When Koji met Stan for the first time, both of them were too young to have been able to take any big part in the garage, so the young Stan had been lonely, and thus welcomed Koji with open arms into his life.

For a few years, it had been like that; Miguel working with others in his garage while Stan and Koji played and kept each other company, usually in the form of taking things apart and figuring out how they worked, much to Miguel's joy, depending on what exactly it was they were exploring.

Then, as soon as Miguel saw them as old enough, he taught both of the boys as his own about the inner workings of a star racer, cars, anything mechanical that they could get their hands on. This series of simple teachings became apprenticeship for the both of them, and when he came of apprenticeship age, and for other reasons that he preferred to leave stored away from thought, Koji moved in with his best friend and Miguel, becoming his 'left arm,' as Miguel had put it.

Koji smiled at the thought of having been so highly revered in the garage, as he now sat with his life-long companion on the bus.

"I know. The same for me."

--

The two of them stared down at the freshly buried plot, still decorated with flowers and wreathes that had been placed there during the funeral, which had indeed been missed by Miguel's two adolescent apprentices, due to the length they had to travel by bus.

By the time they'd gotten to the garage at noon, the ceremony was over, and the family and friends of their mentor were having a gathering there in the apartment behind the shop. Not much had been said between Stan and them, he never felt that close or familial to any of them before, and the fact that the notice of his uncle's death had come two days after the fact hadn't enlightened his situation.

So, with only a minimal amount of attention being paid to their fellow mourners, the boys had turned their attention to finding the nearby flower shop, and then made it here, to have their own memorial.

It seemed like a very peaceful place to be buried, it was a very nice-looking spot in the vast cemetery, full of green and lush vegetation. The two boys couldn't have asked for better scenery for their mentor and father figure to have been laid to rest in. Setting down their offering of flowers, Koji smiled at the little placard picture of the usually vibrant Miguel. It was good of the cemetery owners to have included such an accurate portrayal of the man buried there.

"Stan, I was wondering," Koji suddenly asked his friend, who was currently squatting at the headstone, brushing off the very minimal dirt that was on it.

"Yeah?" he said, not making any visible movement.

"Do you think we did the right thing? I mean, lying to Don and the others?" Koji asked uncertainly, pressing his glasses frame back into place. "Uh, why _did_ we lie, anyway?" Stan looked up at Koji, and smiled weakly.

"Think about it, Koj. They've got enough to deal with, especially Eva." He looked off, finding a patch of sky through the trees to stare at. "With the threats, and the president being a stubborn idiot, and Aikka turning up hurt as bad as he was, they have enough to worry about without us throwing our own problems into everything." Stan answered, taking to his feet again. Koji then realized the logic behind that.

"I see," he said, gazing back at the headstone and flowers. "I guess you're right…but I think Don suspects something…" At this, Stan laughed slightly.

"Tell me something I don't know." Stan said, coming up beside Koji and slinging his arm around his small shoulders. Turning his gaze towards Miguel's headstone, he gave a two-fingered salute. "Sorry we were late, uncle, you always said your brother was a git!"

"We'll take good care of the Phantom," Koji added, bowing his head in sort of a replication of an oriental bow.

With that, the two turned and headed back to the garage, where they'd have to deal with some legal things concerning Miguel's last will, which had, according to the letter they'd received, listed them both as the new owners of the Phantom. What they really wanted, rather than to mess with legal mumbo-jumbo, was to just get their racer prepped for transport, and head back to the Wei hangar, and go to sleep, just to get the day out of the way. It was nearing sunset now, and they were both running on low, considering their coffee run in the morning had been shattered by the late news.

So, after sitting through the reading of his will, Stan and Koji were left with, not only the Phantom, but the majority of Miguel's money. Though, being as Miguel was a modest man, their inheritance wasn't exactly dazzling. Some of it was probably still what Don had originally offered Miguel for his two mechanics in the first place. Still, it would provide them with a good plot of money to do…something with.

After all that, it was time for the two boys to pack up the rest of their things. Folding up some clothes and trying to get them all settled agreeably into a box, Stan gave a smile to Koji, who seemed to be doing better himself since paying a visit to Miguel's grave sight. It seemed paying their debts to their mentor did bring them a sort of peace.

"I'm starting a pile of boxes in the living room, so just set that one with the rest of them," Stan instructed Koji, indicating the fully packed and taped box he was carrying out. Koji nodded certainly, finding his way around some of the junk that occupied their room with them.

Stan smiled more after his friend, but his smile fell from his face when he heard his not-so-favorite relatives talking in hushed voices somewhere outside his sliding glass door. He'd left the door to the outside open, so the room wouldn't be so stuffy with Koji and him unearthing things that undoubtedly had layers of dust in and on them. And now it seemed that the rest of the mourners were conversing practically just outside it.

"…I can understand giving his money to Stan, I mean Miguel _is_ his godfather after all, but to that Koji boy, too?" he heard one of his aunts say, "He's not even part of this family!"

"How'd he come here, anyway? Was he some orphan that Miguel picked up?" another said, causing Stan's fist to clench, almost involuntarily, at his side. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen the boy's parents!" The throaty voice he knew as his uncle laughed next.

"Miguel always did have a habit of bringing home stray animals, made mom and dad nuts," Stan had heard enough. Throwing the pair of jeans that was in his hand to the ground in a huff, he marched straight out the door.

"Don't talk so high and mighty about something you know nothing about!" Stan growled at the small group, causing their laughing faces to turn to him, their laughing to fade. "Koji was more like family to Miguel than any of you are! It doesn't matter who he is or was, or that his parents left him when he was twelve, and you have no right to say it does!" His eyes were narrowed at them, his blood still boiling from hearing his partner being compared to a stray animal, as well as the term 'orphan' being thrown around so liberally.

"Stanley, how long have you been listening?" his aunt asked, folding her arms across her chest. "You do know it's impolite to eavesdrop, don't you? Perhaps my big brother never taught you…he never did have much penchant for manners,"

"Get out." Was all Stan could manage through gritted teeth, over the light chuckle his aunt was giving at her own jab.

"Excuse me?" The woman replied, as if she'd just been insulted.

"You heard me. All of you, if you can't talk about my uncle or my partner respectfully, then just get out, now. As far as I'm concerned, this 'party' is over!" He waved a hand decisively through the air to emphasize his point, glaring them all down. The older people were silent, allowing the sound of the evening crickets to take over. "Don't look at me like you're so surprised, how would you expect me to act with all of you treating my best friend like crap?!" He was resisting the urge to yell now, though he had to admit, he was running out of reasons not to yell at them; this wasn't the first time he'd heard his family speak low of Koji, only the first he'd actually lashed out about it. He was just so tired of it. Perhaps they, instead of Don Wei, were the robots all along…the way they talked suggested that they had no hearts.

So, with looks of amazement that he'd told them off, Stan's less-revered aunts and uncles decided to find somewhere else to be. Waving to the practically steaming Stan, his aunt gave a smile and a nod to something behind Miguel's left behind godchild. Turning in a fluster, Stan saw Koji just in the sliding glass doorway, his narrow eyes looking outside curiously at the commotion. With realization that Stan noticed him, the oriental man rushed back inside. Stan was soon to follow, stumbling haphazardly over the junk that was on the floor from their packing venture.

Stan's hand wrapped easily around Koji's arm, just as the slimmer mechanic had reached the doorway to the hallway and he brought his friend back into the room. Shutting the door to their room, the stronger mechanic pressed Koji back against that door. Looking in the man's eyes, he found a sort of nostalgia; the undesirable type, the one that heralded a bad memory.

"Koj, how much did you hear…?" Stan asked, in a sober voice, suddenly very guilty.

"I came back here just in time to see you go out the door…" Koji answered quietly. Stan sighed, his grip on Koji sliding down the man's pale arms. "I heard pretty much everything…"

That was just long enough for Koji to have heard a reminder of his worst memory, and now he felt horrible for throwing it out so carelessly. He knew how the subject of his parent's abandonment affected Koji. He shut his eyes tightly, as if in hopes that he couldn't see his mistake any more if he did so, and wrapped his arms around Koji, bringing the young man to his chest.

"I'm sorry, ok?" he murmured quietly into Koji's black hair. "Those guys are class-A jerks, and I…I wasn't thinking…" Koji smiled, even giving a laugh into the other's chest.

"Thanks, Stan," Koji smiled as the two separated, letting some light glint off his glasses. "And it's alright. I gotta deal with it anyway. It happened eight years ago, I'm squaring with it," Stan smiled; he knew it was still a sore subject for Koji, but it was fun watching him try to be brave, even better to know that he was coping and trying to get past the roughest part of his life.

Ruffling his companion's hair, Stan laughed, finding himself refreshed by Koji's smile.

"C'mon, it's getting late, and we still need to get all of our stuff out of here," Stan said, dragging his partner through the mess to the boxes. This would definitely be a bit of a project, but they took comfort in the fact that they still had a time until they'd have to give up the flat and the garage.

They could easily wait until after the Grand Prix, even, to get going on the major stuff. It remained, though, that they'd need to find an apartment in the city, where they could live and put the rest of their clothes collection. They couldn't really live in Don Wei's bunker for the rest of their lives.

As for their so-called family, Stan was satisfied to notice that none of them had decided to stick around after having him reprimand them. They'd all left, and both Stan and Koji couldn't have been more content in each other's solitary company.

--

Now the night was closing in on them, but they were still working on getting the Phantom all wrapped up in protective tarp. The transport service they had used a year ago had already been called, and a pick-up was arranged for the first thing in the morning. By the time Eva would get to the hangar the next day, there would be a brand new star racer for her to try out, and hopefully the next winner of the Grand Prix.

Taking in the garage one last time after packing up all of their things, Stan and Koji prepared to say goodbye. They paid one last visit to the roof of the apartment behind the place, which had served as their home for the majority of Stan's life, and the last several years of Koji's.

They had been of course, offered the ownership of the garage, since it was a rental and would soon pass out of Miguel's possession anyway, but the two of them agreed, it was time to take their learned craft to other parts of the world, to make their own path. Miguel had always wanted big things to keep happening to them, after they came back from Oban with a well of experience and ideas.

It was time for them to move on together, and to spread their wings in the mechanic world.

"Ever get the feeling something big is going to happen, Koj?" Stan asked out of nowhere as the two of them lay on the shingled roof, contemplating their future, recalling their past.

"Yeah, I remember getting that feeling the night before Don bought us off of Miguel," Koji laughed.

"So do I…And I feel it again." Stan smiled towards the heavens, which were dotted with clouds, a sign of a cloudier day to come. "You know what it is, Koj?"

Koji responded by tipping his head to look at his companion. Stan matched the look, a look of determination in his dark eyes.

"It's the Grand Prix. Our racer's gonna win it, for Miguel. We're gonna do big things along with Eva with that ship, and it's gonna be for him." Stan said assuredly. Koji smiled and looked back at the sky as well. "And when the Crogs decide to show up, we can shoot 'em straight out of the sky, just like old times," At this, Koji laughed, with Stan soon joining in.

They could see deep into the Milky Way from their point on the roof, and not only that, but they could remember all the things that had happened to them out there in the open. All the reminiscing of the events of the great race brought up an interesting point to Stan's hopes, though.

"But we'd need a gunner for that, wouldn't we?" Koji asked, causing Stan to pause a bit in his fantasies about the Phantom blowing the Crogs to smithereens.

All he could answer with was nervous laughter.

The two of them sat for a long while up on the roof of their mentor's house, huddled close to one another for warmth, simply staring out and thinking, well, about everything. There was definitely a lot to think about. Between the possibly impending war, their new change of employment, the recent death, even reminiscing about the good old days when Jordan was shooting at Toros, or Kross, the two of them doubted that they'd have a moment's peace in their own heads.

Eventually, while draping his jacket around the smaller mechanic, Stan gave his hand to help Koji down off of the roof with him; they had a bus to catch, or they'd have to wait another forty-five minutes to get back to the city.

Had they stayed up there for any longer, however, they may have noticed a strange show of light;

A streak of golden yellow, which looked as though it were a shooting star, headed for the Earth. It came fast, but it also disappeared somewhere on the landscape as quickly as it had come.

Big things were indeed about to start.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Eehee, there you have it, my first Stan/Koji fluff-fest. Augh, I made Stan's family such a bunch of evils…Though it would kinda make sense why he was always so pissed during Oban about Don's behavior. Just thoughts. And like I said, I made this chapter so they could be either really good friends, or a couple. It is open to interpretation! ;)

For the next chapter, we'll meet a new character, but what is her connection to everything? Oh, and the new star racer comes! I think we can all guess who's gonna have a race now! .:squees:. X3

Now, if the readers will excuse me, I gotta go catch the my inner Yaoi Fangirl that writing this chapter has unleashed… She has somehow chewed through her leash.. O.o


	10. Gunner Girl

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Gawd, I love all of you guys who review and show me so much love! I may have gotten this up sooner, but the correspondence class that I have to finish and get in the mail by the 21st has been stealing away my attention. Gotta get it done, you know. But, anyhow, it's here and there's gonna be a race, and I know all of you can guess who it'll be! I actually have a drawing that I drew a few weeks ago of the Phantom, but I'm thinking of revising it, just to make it more spiffy and different. Either way, it'll probably be up in my DA account in the future. It was actually my first time drawing anything mechanical like a star racer, though, so I'm pretty proud of it, revision or not.

_Crazyvegimab: _I'm so glad I managed to pull Aikka's outfits off, it was exactly the thing I was going for :) I'll have to work on drawing the second outfit, I'll make it pretty, since it really hasn't gotten that much love in the story so far…And Canaan as well! It's in my brain, Mab, so don't worry. As soon as I get some more done on my class, I'll hunker down and draw you that Canaan piccy! .:mobs back with love:. :heart: And I'm glad you liked the Stan/Koji chapter! Arigatou!

_Spellcaster Hikaru:_lol, I think that the name of this chapter will already answer your little premonition about the new character ;) I actually really feel bad for Jordan too, I mean, every time I re-watch certain episodes, like the last ep, or the one where he tries to give Molly the flowers, I just feel so sad for him, cause he turns into such a hopeless romantic for Molly! It's so sweet, but in a terribly sad way, since we know what ends up happening…Anyway, veering away from the more depressing topics of Oban…All I can say for the possibility of Molly going to Nourasia and a sequel is, possibly and not at the moment. Though I will say that things are probably going to change from their current pace soon. .:shifty eyes:. As for the sequel part, I just don't have any ideas for what to do with a sequel, as of yet. Maybe something will pop into my head later, I dunno. .:shrugs:. Ooh, Rick pins! .:attaches one to her 'vote for Rick' shirt:.

_IchikoKitsuneKoumori:_ Yep, the Earth Coalition needs a new one, and yeah, we're getting a new one…in 2008, though…Still a little while to go…Imagine if Molly were to take Aikka on a trip to the zoo! Lol that'd be something…

_Sekai Nerah: _Yeah, I always liked the Stan/Koji pairing, myself. And I love long stories too, they're lots of fun, and I'm proud of my Satis too :) So, thank you for your reviews, they have of course helped me get to that 6-page mark! .:huggles Sekai:. And here's the next chapter X3

_Shrouded View: _Well, I'm really glad you liked the Stan and Koji story for the most part, as well as the lovable Satis! And it's no problem about the warning, I know there are some who like certain types of pairings and those who don't, and it's only fair that writers do put warnings on their things, I think.

_Frubaforever: _That's all good, and I like how you keep your mind open to different things, that's always a good thing! Anyway, I'm glad you liked it, and yes, I agree, poor Miguel…Gomen nasaii!

_APurpleAvacado: _Thanks for the tip, I do use the two dash line dealies to break up the different pieces, but I can see from chapter 5 where it might have been a little confusing as to what exactly the scene change was…I just now noticed it! Oo XD Thanks!

_Crystal Persian: _Yep, I had to give these two a story within the story, just like Savin did during the show X3 gotta love 'em, they're the world's greatest mechanics! .:glomps them both:. As to Aikka's lesson, wellll, read on:D

_Fushica: _Thank you, thank you! I know, I was sad about Miguel when I was writing it, as well as for Stan and Koji…especially after I gave them such evil relatives…Gawd, I'm growing evil…

_Thechickenlittle: _Aw, thanks, I really am glad to know that I'm getting the characters right…and it seems that Satis has quite a lot of fans! Lol

_Iluvaikka: _Here's more!

I love all of the above peoples! They are the targets of my appreciative love and affection! .:huggles:.

Disclaimer: Ok, Oban Star Racers, its characters and plot belong to Savin Yeatman-Eiffel, the wonderful genius who created them, not me. I only borrow the characters and add my own! Such as the new chick!...

**--**

**-Chapter 10-**

**Gunner Girl**

**--**

The sky the next day on Earth was grey, grey enough to let the high rises of the city blend into the sky. Rain was imminent, which was quite obvious. The day seemed dreary, that was the real word for it.

Hiking up a duffle bag and hugging into her trench coat, a bleach-blonde girl walked down the streets in the air the was humid with impending rain. She was headed for one building, one of the more distinctive of structures in the grey city, one whose white letters shown out in all the grey, reading 'Wei Enterprises,' or, rather, the hangar adjoined to it. That's where she was headed, it was where she'd been told to go. Her dark eyes held a certain amount of tension, but she knew she'd be welcome there. Once they knew who she was…

While on her way, she was nearly there now, a large truck, sported with tires instead of the usual hover gear, drove past her. Looking as it passed, she saw an enormous flatbed hooked up to it. A large, tarp-covered shape on the back wagon made her stop in her tracks; she recognized that shape.

"A star racer," she murmured, staring after it as it headed, nearly too wide for the abandoned street, down the street she'd directed herself in. There was no doubt in her mind, that racer was headed for the same destination as she was.

Grinning widely, she began after the thing, walking quicker than before, her long braid trailing behind her along with the back of her coat. Patting her duffle bag under her arm, she smiled.

"Don't worry, brother, I'll do as I promised,"

--

Aikka stared outside, leaning against the side of the wide garage door of the Wei hangar. Hugging his arms closer, the Nourasian shivered from the cool air. He was back in his first outfit, the white tunic and black jeans, but he found the weather to be a bit too chilly for his coverage.

His expression was contorted with pensive worry as he cast looks towards the grey of the Earthen sky. He did enjoy this weather, but he couldn't help but think that the air was ripe with something other than precipitation. G'dar shared his sentiments, for the beetle had more than once nudged him, as if full of nerve, since he'd arrived with Eva that morning.

Eva, meanwhile, was obliviously ecstatic, helping out the two mechanics, Stan and Koji, rearrange and tarp the three original racers towards the back of the garage. Word from them was, that a fourth, the Phantom, was on its way, though it was running later than they'd arranged. She was so excited, that morning she'd recalled that today, a Monday, was a day she had off from school. And she was treating it like a holiday, having her closest friends around and another racer on its way.

As concerned as he was, Aikka couldn't help but smile every time he turned his gaze back to her; he enjoyed seeing her so happy, and he could only hope that he'd continue seeing this side of her. Though, even as he watched her, he knew, their time together was limited; if they survived the war, eventually certain obligations of his blood would separate them.

He didn't want to admit the other day that Rick had been almost right about there being something else between him and Eva, even if he was possibly the only one that was feeling it. In fact, part of him hoped that he would be the only one who felt something more than friendship; then it wouldn't leave her broken hearted when he had to answer the tradition of his royalty.

He couldn't say if he was falling for her quite yet, but he was lingering dangerously close to the edge.

Something a bit heavy draped around him, shortly after Aikka gave another shiver, for both the cold and his thoughts. Looking at his shoulders, he found a thick, oversized coat wrapped around him. Looking then up, familiar sunglasses stared back at him, a grin on the pale skin below them.

"Sorry, Prince, probably should have bought you a jacket while we were out the other day," he said loosely. Aikka smiled back at the man.

"Thank you, Rick," the Nourasian said, pulling the material to better surround him from the chill in the air. Rick gave another smile and turned for the inner parts of the garage.

"Don't mention it," He told the prince assuredly, while waving ahead to Eva as the girl approached, patting the dirt off of her outfit, now comprised of a crimson shirt to match her eyes, and with sleeves that reached her wrists once she unrolled them. The sides of the sleeves actually showed some of her fair skin, in sections that looked almost as if there had been holes cut into the material. It seemed to Aikka that these holes were meant to be there, as a fashion, and though he didn't quite understand it, it did seem to fit her, as well as the blue jeans that just barely reached her calf muscles before fraying out around her knees.

Eva came up to Aikka, giving a passing pat to G'dar, and examined his new coat. The thing was meant to be a 'half' trench coat, and on Rick, she'd seen it reach his knees, though on Aikka, it served well as a regular trench coat, as it was well on its way to reaching his ankles. The corners of the shoulders were well off his own, as Rick's frame was so much wider and square than his. He almost looked lost in the article, but to Eva it looked almost cute.

"So, where'd we leave off yesterday?" She asked him, and Aikka immediately knew she was speaking of the lessons he was giving her. She had talked him into teaching her how to properly wield a blade, and he had agreed, so long as she first proved her abilities at hand to hand.

"Ah, yes," Aikka turned fully to her, rolling up his coat sleeves on his arms. "Do you remember the first stance?"

Eva nodded, and shifted into the position he'd taught to her, an authentic stance from the traditional lessons of his people. This had been the first he had learned as well, consisting of her hands sitting in mid-air in front of her, only half curled into fists, with her body standing on a solid foundation of a stance.

This was the first stance learned for a reason; the stance provided readiness if an attack was made from the opponent. In this stance, both hands were ready for defense, but they could also be easily used for offensive attacks.

Though, as he surveyed her, he noticed that her stance wasn't exactly the ideal that he'd taught her. Her weight was distributed slightly off, but he knew it did take a little getting used to, especially for those not used to the style of fighting.

"More weight should be put on your back leg," Aikka instructed, gripping her opposite shoulder and pulling her slightly towards him, giving more weight to the proper leg. "And square your hips a little more, it'll give you more stability."

Eva readily obeyed his instructions, a little too wrapped up in doing so for her to really concentrate on his touch on her shoulder, or even the new one on her hip. Aikka, though, was another story; it seemed that where he'd allowed his hands to go was the only thing that existed. Even if it was just professional advice and guidance, Aikka's mind was betraying him by making it more than it was. His thoughts were taking him places he shouldn't go, places he couldn't go.

While his thoughts got away with him, Aikka decided to double his control on his facial expression of this; even worse would be if Eva happened to notice his expression as being something other than rigid and concentrated instruction. He'd work on harnessing his restless mind again later.

"Good, good," Aikka nodded, circling around her, and coming to a stop in front of her stance. Eva grinned at this, pleased at her own progress. Without warning, Aikka swung a hand towards her from the side, his flat palm slicing through the air.

"Whoa," Eva yelped at the sudden movement, but reacted quickly, sending a forearm to block Aikka's mock blow. She decided to take it a step further, and sent her fist through the air, for his stomach.

Though he knew this was only sparring, and that Eva would have really stopped before actually hitting him, Aikka gently caught the girl's punch in a hand and sent a grin to her. Eva only gave him a grin of her own, and pivoted craftily on her front foot, sending her slightly forwards and into him, as well as her back foot flying in a would-be course to his head.

Aikka smiled at her after surveying the foot that had stopped just short of grazing with his ear and now hung there in mid-air. It had appeared there very fast indeed, and her body had moved in excellent precision and balance; and it had only been yesterday that he'd started teaching the Earthling. Had this been a real fight, even he would have found himself worrying about possible stains on his new clothes from the garage floor.

"Very good, I suspect that you will see a blade in your hands within no time at all, Molly." Eva lit up at his words, and suddenly noticed the presence of her father, who'd apparently been watching for a while.

"Yes, very good, Eva," he told her proudly. Leveling with the now relaxing Eva and Aikka, his expression only hardened slightly. "I just spoke with Stan and Koji, they said the Phantom is almost here,"

"Correction, sir, it is here!" Koji yelled over to them excitedly, while he ran after Stan out of the hangar door and around the corner to guide the truck back. Now the rumbling of the great transportation vehicle could be heard to all of them, and Don turned with a shrug back to his daughter.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that, and have you test the thing out with Stan and Koji. So, don't get too involved with another fighting lesson," he told them both, glancing at Aikka as well as his daughter. He was pleased that the prince was teaching his daughter self-defense, but he could only hope she wouldn't have to use it. What was more, he hoped that if it somehow came down to it, something that was becoming his greatest fear these days, that it'd be of some usefulness to her.

Eva suddenly became all the more eager for the new star racer, and it showed vividly on her face. Don smiled at her, a little sadly; it seemed that having her racing wasn't all that frightening anymore. Given the alternative, letting his daughter race had suddenly become a piece of cake.

Aikka and Eva decided to go over and welcome the new racer, watching from the sides as Stan and Koji, along with the trained carriers, gently brought the enormous shape off of the trailer and on to the garage floor. Eva was practically bouncing on her heels, quite ready to give the thing a test run, and Aikka found himself more fascinated by the girl's eager reaction than by the actual process. Even G'dar was glancing over, the racer being something of a new room mate to him.

"Here she is," Stan said proudly, as he and Koji managed to pull the tarp off of the racer, revealing a shining beauty of a vehicle, done in shades of deep violet and blue on top of the polished grey of the metal. It looked reminiscent in shape to the Arrows, but did indeed look a lot smoother. The boys had obviously considered looks as well as function this time around, the thing was simply a masterpiece. Looking at the shapes, on the side particularly, Eva was reminded almost of some sort of bat-like wing, which seemed to fit with their name for it, The Phantom.

"She's beautiful," Eva gaped, hardly daring to take her eyes off of it, her mind creating several images of her at the wheel. Or, rather, handlebars. "Can I try it out, you guys?" She looked with suddenly enormous crimson eyes at the boys who'd designed and created it, her hands clasped in front of her in a classic begging position.

"That's what we brought it here for, Eva," Koji laughed, holding his strapped computer to him. "Just let us make sure everything is in check, and you can go nuts,"

"But not too nuts, alright? We want this baby to last at least a little longer than the Arrows," Stan added, tilting a wrench in her direction for extra warning. Eva nodded quickly.

"You got it," she gave them a thumbs up and turned to Aikka, before glancing at G'dar, who'd been rather stationary for the past few days aside from their trips to the countryside to let him graze. She suddenly got a brilliant idea; at least it was brilliant to her.

"Aikka, how bout we have a little race? I'm sure G'dar wants to do something!" Aikka looked at her, surprised at the offer, but nonetheless pleased. Not only was G'dar wanting to stretch his wings, but Aikka himself hadn't had a good, race-induced adrenaline rush in far too long. Not even to mention, racing Eva was just as much fun as it was a challenge.

"I would be honored to race you, Molly," Aikka accepted her challenge with a grin. Eva grinned herself, before turning her attention back to the mechanics and their creation.

"Alright, the tanks are full, the reactors are in check, thrusters…" Koji listed off, coming over to the prince and Eva, scratching the top of his head with a pen. "Everything looks good, Eva, I think we're ready for you,"

"See you on the track, Princess," Aikka playfully grinned and bowed to her before heading off to prepare G'dar. Koji looked a little blankly at her nickname, but nonetheless continued.

"We tried to keep most of the codes the same, but there have been some changes, so don't just go pushing things just yet, Stan and I will help you get it," He trailed off as Eva scaled the ladder up and into the open cockpit, finding the welcoming sight of a bike seat format, though this time it actually fit; it wasn't her grafted-on rocket seat this time. Grinning widely, she glanced off to G'dar's area, finding the prince already mounted and poised for their little race. He cast a glance over to her, a sort of teasing grin. She matched it quickly, finding that he was apparently just as eager for this new race as she was.

"Oh! Hey, can someone start us when we get over to the line?" Eva called to the others from her perch.

"Start you?" Stan asked, before Rick came out of his own office at just the right moment. "Hey Rick, go start those two so we can see how The Phantom flies!"

Rick, caught in that spot where he couldn't escape, shrugged and decided to go along with it. He always did enjoy seeing Eva race, and it'd personally be an honor to start the new champion. It also didn't hurt in the fact that he got a bit of a boost in his pride, knowing he'd taught Eva all he knew. It gave him a bit of solace to know he had some sort of hand in the little mouse's success as a world class racer, almost like his legacy was living on.

"Alright Eva, just race, nothing too fancy, ok?" Koji called as the teenage girl drove the racer out of the shelter of the garage on its three wheels. Likewise, G'dar hobbled his way over, following Eva to the starting line.

"Alright you two kids, play nice! We don't want another pile of scrap, now, do we?" Rick called up to the both of them. Eva, before closing the translucent and violet-tinted glass of the cockpit, threw a wink and peace sign over to the prince, who smiled, before the thrill of competition took over him, and he leaned slightly forwards in his seat, ready for the start.

With a couple of motions from Rick, both G'dar and the Phantom rose, and with the last, wave of a signal, the two of them were off like a shot. Rick, fighting with his now frantic hair, watched as the both of the racers sped off, weaving with each other, creating a brilliant show of grace that to him looked more like frolicking than racing. Grinning, he decided to go find a seat in the stands to better see the race.

Eva managed to tame this star racer quickly, and soon turned her attention to the prince's location. No longer on the right side of her, where he had started, he was grinning at her from the left. A slight motion from his arm told G'dar to go faster, and so the beetle sped a bit forward. They were approaching the first turn now, and Koji came up on the screen to her side.

"She looks great so far, Eva, go ahead and do a roll," he suggested over the screen.

"With pleasure," Eva grinned, before tossing her entire weight to the side, rolling with the curve of the track, sending the instinctual G'dar back with the surprise, giving her a sudden lead over the prince.

Aikka, while assuring G'dar with a swirling pat on his shell, smiled after the Earthling.

"It seems that the Princess is just as agile as ever, G'dar," He shut his eyes, whilst his hand flattened on the white shell beneath him. "But fortunately, so are we! _Un sekai G'dar wakar!_"

Unknown to the racers, there was one spectator besides Rick in the stands, watching the race as well. Taking in breath with amazement, she watched as G'dar's blue and spotted shell quickly turned to a brilliant and glowing white, dazzled with swirling patterns of Nourasian fashion. The figure that was Aikka and his beetle soon caught up to the Phantom on the second of turns in the triangular shaped track.

"Oh, you're doing that again, are you?" Eva asked Aikka as if he'd be able to hear her, just as the prince sped by on his charged beetle. She pressed the circle on her screen that would send her to Koji. "Hey Stan, Koji, can I use the hyper drive yet, or is that too nuts?"

"We were actually about to suggest it," Stan answered, his toothpick visibly shaking with his words.

"The code is still the same, but don't use it for too long, this track isn't completely hyper drive-friendly," the image of Koji cut in just as the mechanic was pressing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Got it," Eva said surely, and tapped in the series to the screen, making sure her eyes were on the track and that her finger was just seconds away from the 'disengage' button. She wasn't about to let this baby crash into the stands, but she was ready to at least catch up to the prince. He had already rounded the second turn, and was on his way to take the third, and final turn.

Thrusters folded out much like they had on the Arrow III, glowing that beautiful white-blue that Eva loved so much. As soon as she engaged, the glow seemed to erupt from all of the clusters, and in turn, sent her flying forward at a speed that would have floored her, had she not been so used to it from her days in the race of Oban. Even though she was used to it, Stan and Koji were right; it was faster than the Arrows. It took no time at all to get the new, lightweight craft to level with, and then pass Aikka and G'dar.

Holding a peace sign high above her head as she passed, she curved around the bend that was the last turn. There was only a stretch before the finish line, she could easily make this race. With a quick poke to the right button, she felt the Phantom slow, only enough to ease back into its normal speed, and out of hyper drive, as the clusters of glowing thrusters faded and folded gracefully back into the safety of the reactors.

However close she now was to the finish line, though, Aikka and his mount would not be put out so easily. The brilliant white of G'dar's charged shell came up beside her, and she just caught Aikka's grin before she leaned forward on the controls, giving her a boost of speed that somehow managed to put her just in front of the beetle. With a bit of a roll, she shifted herself over in order to cut the two Nourasians behind her off. G'dar intuitively reared a little in the air, before Aikka guided him in a glide up and over the craft known as the Phantom.

All Eva had time to notice as she crossed the finish line, was the sudden presence of a great shadow flying above her cockpit. And that was before she noticed G'dar had pulled over her, suddenly making the race a very unsure one. She grinned broadly.

"Nice race, prince," she said, impressed as ever, before continuing after G'dar and his master at a slightly lazier pace, just weaving and rolling around each other for the fun of it for another lap.

Moving a strand of hair from her face, the girl in the stands smiled down at the two frolicking racers from under the bill of her black cap. Her hand moved to clasp two small metal plates that hung from her neck.

"She really is the best," she said to herself quietly as the Phantom and G'dar began back for the hangar. She cocked her head a little downward, casting a shadow over her amused smile. "And 'Princey' ain't that bad either,"

She decided, at the sight of the racers receding back to the pit, that now was the time to head down herself. She watched the man in the stands below her get up from a seat, and suddenly realized she hadn't even realized his presence there before. She gasped, realizing who it was that was sitting rows ahead of her.

Grabbing her duffle bag, she hustled down the stairs nearest her, only hoping not to fall.

"Rick!" She called out, catching the attention of a slightly bewildered Rick Thunderbolt.

Turning, he saw the teenaged girl, with her snake of bleached hair trailing behind her, a trench coat flapping in the wind of her running, a duffle bag clutched to her by both hands. More intriguing, though, was the girl's eyes, even her skin tone and her hair color. It felt to the ex-pilot that he was looking at someone familiar. Perhaps it was some old fan, for how she called his name… He was actually quite used to random people coming up to him calling his name.

"Hey, kid…you want an autograph or something?" Rick asked his potential fan as she finally made it to the bottom of the stairway. She looked up at him with wide eyes, but shook her head.

"Actually, I need to talk to Don Wei," The girl said certainly, but with her voice wavering with some slight nervousness. Rick looked at the teen, puzzled. Come to think of it, she looked about Eva's age, when she had joined up with Wei Enterprises. His breath suddenly hitched; there was no way that Don had abandoned two daughters, right?

He shoved that idea from his head, this girl looked nothing like Eva, Maya or Don…Though she did still look familiar for some odd reason…

"Well, I'm his assistant now, so what do you need to talk to him about? Lookin' for a job?" Rick told her professionally, while he turned and walked down to the track, beckoning her to follow him. The mysteriously familiar goldenrod-blonde followed after, hugging her bag to her again and clasping her hand protectively around her necklace. "I'll tell you right now, he's not that keen on having female workers,"

"Well, I wanted to talk to him about his daughter, actually…His daughter Eva…or _Molly_." She looked at Rick knowingly. The man turned suddenly to her, a look full of surprise. And had they not been hidden beneath his shades, the girl would have noticed that his eyes were extremely wide indeed. How could she have known Eva's alias?

Suddenly, as he looked at the expression on her face, Rick spotted something even more familiar than her appearance. That set look that showed so much stubborn determination reminded him instantly of someone, not that her appearance hindered that.

Instead of asking her how in the world she knew about Eva's other name, Rick asked something else.

"What's your name?"

--

"Great race, you two, and Eva, you worked the Phantom beautifully!" Koji congratulated the two racers as they got back into the garage. "She flies just how we wanted her to,"

Eva climbed down the ladder, and looked to her father. He gave her a smile, which she readily returned. She never got tired of praise from her father, especially when it came to racing.

"Wonderful job, Eva, I think we're going to have a winner this year!" Don said proudly. Eva grinned as Aikka made his way over from settling G'dar into his spot.

"Thanks, dad," Eva said proudly, turning to Aikka. "So, how do we decide who won?"

"Well, if we really want to know, we could always ask Rick, I believe he saw the whole race," he returned her grin, hiking up his oversized coat. "But I'd be satisfied with it simply being a draw,"

"Says you!" Eva laughed, playfully pushing his arm. "Where is Rick, anyway?" she then asked curiously, noticing then that Rick wasn't even available to them.

"Maybe he's still outside," Stan suggested from between the Phantom's reactors. "We definitely haven't seen him."

"Hm. Come on, Aikka, let's go look for him!" Eva said readily, grabbing the prince's hand and tugging him along towards the garage door. The prince, in turn didn't have time to object, but laughed at her enthusiasm. He still loved that side of her.

However, before she even made it with the prince out the door, Rick came around the corner, scratching his head a little confusedly.

"Rick! There you are!" Eva said excitedly, having practically run into the man. "We need you to tell us," Eva trailed off, noticing a girl accompanying the man, standing off to the side, rather timidly. The girls' eyes met, and suddenly Eva was struck with familiarity. Even Aikka sensed something familiar about this new girl.

"Sorry, Little Mouse, your dad's got a visitor," Rick said with a little smile.

With that, he walked past her, ruffling the red hair on top of her head. Eva reluctantly broke her contact with the other girl, and turned, following Rick with her gaze. Soon, the girl followed Rick in. The blonde gave a quick glance back to Eva, then an odd look towards Aikka, one that almost looked of envy. Aikka then turned to her as the girl turned back towards Rick, calling Eva out of her trance.

"Molly, do you know this girl?" Eva shook her head slowly.

"I feel like I do, though, it's so weird…Maybe I've seen her in school or something?" She answered. Her look of thought turned to determination, and she grabbed Aikka by the hand again. "Come on, we're gonna find out who she is," with that, Aikka was dragged over to a tarp-covered reactor of one of the pre-Phantom racers, and watched as Rick and the girl made their ways over to Don.

"Hey, Don, you got someone to see you!" Rick told the older man, who in turn gave a confused look to his assistant, then to the teen-age girl.

"Ah, can I help you, young lady?" Don asked professionally, still trying to puzzle what this girl could want. "If you are looking for a job, I'm afraid I have none to offer at the moment,"

"I don't need a job, I already have one." The girl shook her head with a smile. "I've been sent here in order to protect your daughter, Eva."

Don's eyes instantly widened. This girl, who looked to be a year younger than his daughter, was going to protect his Eva? More importantly, who had sent her? It couldn't have been President McMillan, could it?

Meanwhile, Aikka exchanged looks with Eva, each contemplating the same things. Even Stan and Koji seemed to be paying attention to the happenings from behind the guise of their computers.

"Were you sent by the president? And how do you intend to protect my daughter?" he raised an eyebrow at her, not seeing any weapons visibly on her. At this, the girl grinned eagerly, and set her bag down, unzipping the thing as she went.

As she leant down, Eva caught the glint of something around her neck, something that gleamed at her, and at the same time, clacking metallically together. Suddenly, something seemed to click. Around her neck were two military ID tags, both seeming a bit old and worn, and they were tags that she was sure she'd seen before…

"With this," The blonde said, triumphantly pulling a large and heavy-looking hand cannon out of her duffle bag, earning looks of wide and unbelieving eyes, along with a few gasps. "Don't worry, it isn't loaded. I've also got this,"

She set her hand cannon gently on the ground, pulling out what looked like a handgun, then some different-looking cartridges that appeared to belong to the hand cannon. Setting all the smaller items back into their proper holdings and back into the bag, she then did the same with her cannon.

"And I got a military license, don't worry," she flashed a card at the slightly perturbed look of Don Wei. It wasn't everyday someone just popped in, showing off their collection of firearms. Eva, though, was putting everything together, and she found that this girl seemed just like an old friend, one she hadn't seen in a year. "As to who sent me, well, does this mean anything to you guys?"

She lifted a sleeve of her trench coat and showed Don the inside of her wrist, though Eva and Aikka couldn't see from their standpoints. They did see, however, Don Wei's face change to one of surprise, though he seemed pleased just as well.

"You were sent by the avatar," Don said, hushed, and with a bit of a smile spreading over his face. The girl in front of him nodded. Eva suddenly came out from behind the reactor, not daring to believe what she heard. She walked carefully in the two steps she took from her hiding place, taking delicate steps, like the scene before her would disappear if she moved too harshly. Aikka watched as well, a bit stoic.

The blonde looked over at Eva, who paused in her tracks. She made no movement, but gave Eva a smile.

"He wishes he could be here himself, but as you guys know, things in the galaxy are getting a bit hectic," She took off her cap, revealing her hair to actually have two colors to it, which only made everyone's memory jolt, and made Eva's actually click. While the majority of her hair was dyed blonde, it appeared as if she had let her roots grow in, giving a dark brown splash on top of her head. Everything about this girl made sense to Eva now.

"You're…" Eva began, almost inaudibly, staring at the girl, who was still smiling at her, knowingly. She gave a flash of a glance to the Nourasian behind Eva, but then turned back to Don Wei.

"My name is Janni Wilde, and it is my duty and my honor to protect the one person my brother cares most about," She told them with a smile.

"Jordan's sister…" Eva murmured finally, still staring at the gunner girl before her.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Woot! So Jordan has a little sister!

Oh yeah, and I remember, I was writing the bit of Aikka and Molly's sparring while I was watching some Kung-fu special on animal planet, called 'The Animal Within,' which I was fascinated by…I really miss the martial arts. Anyway, I noticed that the stance Aikka took in episode 9(when he and Jordan get in a fight) kind of came to me as a mantis type of stance, and that was enjoyable to my otaku-geek mind XD But anyway, I actually do have at least some experience in the martial arts, as I took Tae-Kwon-Do for a few years, so I am trying to use what I know(or, remember, rather) and what I get off of fighting shows and kung-fu type of fighting styles to give Aikka his little lessons :) And the race was tons of fun to write, too!

Next chapter: More on Molly's newest guardian, including her encounter with a certain galaxy deity… someone admits their feelings, if only a little…And what will become of that little unsettling feeling that Aikka had at the beginning of the chapter?


	11. Admittance and Assault

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-:** I am so happy right now, because I am free! Free from the oppression of my homework! .:throws a bunch of confetti into the air:. Now once I get my diploma, I can start work! And I now have more time for drawing and writing! Squee! I also put up a new sketch page on DA, this one's of Molly, including her new outfits. I really like the one she's wearing as of now in the story, it's my pride and joy so far, along with Aikka's first outfit! The pic of Aikka's second outfit is coming along too, so that should be up in a matter of days.

Oh, and I noticed a mistake that made it in to chapter 9, the part where I was describing Aikka's second outfit. At first I was planning to make the shirt black, but that was before I finalized the outfit. When I went back to revise, I typed in the new description of it (the greens) but I totally forgot about the part at the end of the sentence where I had said it was a black shirt…So, I meant to mention this in the last update, but, we all have our klutzy moments, and I happen to have many more than most! .:fell _up_ the stairs just yesterday:. So, just to clear that up if it caused any confusion, just ignore that 'black' deal at the end of the sentence. .:smacks self up the head:.

So, getting away from my inherent clumsiness, I bring you a new chapter! We start with a little background on Janni and her situation, and later Aikka gets a bit curious about how things went between Molly and her gunner…leading to a talk and a bit of a confession… but on whose part will that be?

To the Reviewers!

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _I'm beginning to think you _are_ psychic, Hikaru! You keep making guesses about where I'm going with things! You'll probably see what I mean this time when you read onward about Janni, you may notice a very similar wording somewhere along her story as compared to your review(which I did receive _after_ having written this chapter) You have mad Jedi skills, indeed, my friend! Use the force! I'm so glad the Phantom's getting so much love, too. I'd totally love working on something like that too, especially if Stan and Koji were there! And Molly, too. Gotta love Molly X3 And yep, I liked the fighting lesson myself, I really want to get back into martial arts…I actually made it to low-brown belt before I had to quit due to my stupid middle school changing their schedule…By now I would have been a black belt!! .:cries in the corner at the injustice of it all:. Ooh, I like the 'beetle senses' thing you thought up, that's good:D Yes, indeed, his beetle senses are tingling…we'll find out why by the end of the chapter… .:shifty eyes:. And as for our favorite Crog, I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing with him quite yet….:ponders:. I'll figure something out… Down with McMillan! .:runs off after Hikaru:.

_Crazyvegimab: _Yesh, Canaan! X3 I just gotta get me some references and then I can start on it, since my homework is all done and out of my way. I like how Janni's hair turned out, I wanted to make it similar to Jordan's, since I made the two of them kind of best friends along with being siblings, but the half and half hair color didn't seem to fit, just cause I did want her to be different from her brother. And I'm glad that she has gotten such a great response! Girls with guns cannot be denied X3 And that was my first race scene, so I am so glad I pulled it off! Go G'dar and his mad skills of speed…XD I kind of want to relearn how to sew so I could make a G'dar plushie…Ok, random thought there, but still! XD

_RedMageSalyre: _Thanks, I'm glad you like it! It's good to hear that from the author of one of my favorite stories. I agree, the prince's fighting style looks a lot like the mantis style, and Savin really does know what he is doing! Who wouldn't want these two to race together again? I hope they do a sequel and include Aikka and a second race between them, too…Hopefully Savin will consider it!

_Shrouded View: _Your Aikka now sits in my favorites in DA! And I understand a thing or two about uncooperative computers, I get to deal with one every day…as well as threatening it with throwing it out the window when it's always terribly slow… And I'm probably going to revise the drawing of the Phantom, but I'll put both pictures up eventually, just cause I'm still proud of my first swing at drawing a star racer. I'll let you know when that happens, though! I'm glad you caught on about and like my little continuation of the love triangle, I imagine that Janni would indeed side with her brother, the way I designed her. You'll see more of that as I add more to the story. As to Molly's day off, well, that's explained a little more in this chapter ;)

_Sekai Nerah: _I love Janni, I'm gonna have fun with her character! I love the martial arts, and writing the last chapter especially has made me miss it even more…I haven't been there since 5 years ago! So sad… And as to the Crogs? Well, read to find out!

_Fushica: _Yeah, the hair is similar because I designed Janni's character to be close to her brother, and when I first thought of giving him a sibling, the hair color thing was the first thing that occurred to me, aside from the gunner thing. She looks up to her brother so it occurs to me that she'd have dyed her hair to match. Just my reasoning for the dual-color thing going on. Thanks for your reviews!

_Molly-92: _No gomen is necessary! Lol..Glad you like it, thanks for the support!

_Crystal Persian: _Yep yep, she's her sister's brother! That'll be more evident as we go along :) Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it! X3 Oh! And update your story asap, kay? I love reading it!

Furubaforever: Thanks! Here's the update, hope you enjoy! X3

I love the readers of my story, but I especially love the reviewers! Love and pocky to you all! Standard disclaimer applies; Janni Wilde is mine. As is the Phantom. .:huggles them possessively to her:.

**--**

**-Chapter 11-**

**Admittance and Assault**

**--**

It had started out to be a boring night, a night just like any other boring night of the week. She had homework, and now, with her brother having been absent from the household for almost a year, her parents had more time to acknowledge that fact. It truly got on her nerves, now more than ever.

It was torture for her to sit there and search her laptop sources for causes and effects through the course of Earth's political history or the solution to agonizing algebra equation, when there were more intriguing things to think about. Almost a complete year ago, her life had become a sort of mystery, and it was something that persisted in nagging at the girl, reminding her daily about the absence of one person.

Huh.

Had it really been a whole year since she'd last seen him? How long had it been since he last gave her a tip on how to use a gun right? How long since they'd last shot cans clean off their handmade wooden ledge in the backyard together?

They always said of her that she resembled her big brother more than she did either of her parents. She eagerly followed in his footsteps, even at an early age, and he, in turn helped her along all the way. When big brother Jordan played out in the front yard with the neighbor kids, shooting at each other with plastic water guns, it only took her half a heartbeat to have joined them. And when he got his first real gun, she was the first, and usually the only other kid he'd let touch it. Therefore, it came as no surprise that when Jordan Wilde enrolled in the Space Academy of the Earth Coalition, Janni Wilde was eagerly awaiting her fourteenth birthday so she could join and eventually fight alongside her brother.

People had always said of the brother-sister duo, that Janni was three years younger than Jordan, but just as trigger happy.

But then, a year ago, something changed, Jordan had only been home from a round of service, when something called him away. He had only given the scantiest details, saying something about an interplanetary race…on a different planet. Janni wanted to come, much to no one's surprise, but for once, Jordan said no to his little sister.

He hadn't stuck around long after notifying her and their parents before setting off, leaving fourteen year old Janni in a pout at her window as she watched him leave, duffle bag over his shoulder. He had literally left within hours of even knowing he'd be leaving. It happened that fast.

As he headed down the driveway towards the limo that apparently held the rest of his team, their parents waved to him, but Janni could only sit at her window as he turned his glance to her. With a two fingered salute, Jordan gave one last smile to his sister before leaving, oblivious to the fact that he wouldn't see her for so much longer than he ever intended. Both brother and sister were oblivious, that things were never going to be the same for either of them again.

After all that happened, after Janni got over her initial irritation of being left behind, she looked to the day when her brother would come home again, the day that they could take their old fashioned BB guns out back and shoot at soda cans, just like old times. She forgave her brother almost instantaneously and she couldn't wait for him to get back.

Nearly two months passed after his leaving, but finally, finally word had come. Though it wasn't what Janni, or her parents were expecting.

She remembered that day so clearly, though at times she wished it didn't; the words that came out of the government official's mouth still affected her to this boring, average day.

All that was said about her brother's whereabouts and the results of this 'race' that no one could know about, was that he, along with the rest of the Earth team, had won. Jordan, however, had to remain on the planet it was hosted upon (even the name of the planet could not be divulged, which greatly annoyed the young gunner) for reasons that they of course could not elaborate on.

It was a cold, harsh assessment, that really carried no emotion or pity for the family that was now officially short by one. It barely qualified as an explanation, Janni had adamantly said, demanding more about her brother. The government, though, seemed set on keeping the whole thing a secret to the world, including those closest to the people involved, no matter how the younger Wilde had yelled at them with tears in her eyes.

All that had really been said, was that Jordan wasn't coming home.

That night was when life seemed to twist horribly out of proportion for Janni; her brother, her _best friend_, was basically dead to the world of Earth, and she had no clue as to why the injustice had to be.

Janni, sitting at her desk on that seemingly average night, wiped furiously at her stinging eyes, as if it would scare away the tears that were close to coming. If she'd have known that the night a year ago would have been the last she'd ever see of her brother, she wouldn't have tried to be so angry with him for having to leave her behind. She would have hugged him, and said good luck, instead of running off to her room like a little girl that she never was. She would have at least waved back to him as he looked at her last. Heck, she probably would have tried even harder to have gone with him!

She set her face in her hand, her tan cheek mashed into her palm, as she tried badgering her brain to make some headway in her algebra homework, which incidentally was due the next day. How exciting her life was now; every day was a race of her own to get her homework done in time. The only real motivation for her to do the crap in the first place was that it was required for her as a student of the army academy to have decent grades.

If it were up to her, she'd simply quit school, focus on becoming as good a gunner as her brother, and then set out on her own journey to find Jordan. Damn whatever confidentiality that the government had, she'd go and_ pound_ the information out of them!

With a little more time on that fateful, seemingly average night, Janni finally conquered her math assignment. Switching off the light on her desk and flipping the top of her sleek laptop down, Janni got up in the newfound darkness and stretched herself out after the ages of rigid study. She didn't even bother with going down to fetch some foregone dinner, it was late, she was tired, and every time she subjected herself to thinking about her lost brother, she found that her appetite would run away. So, her option now was bed time.

"Damn, Jordan, would it really have been so bad if you just took me with you?" she asked the darkness, pulling off her T-shirt to leave her in a blue camisole underneath. "Two gunners are better than one, you know…" She proceeded to take the hair tie out of the end of her long braid of bleached hair, letting her hair fall out of its plaited pattern, leaving braid-induced waves throughout. The girl's keen eyes noticed something, though, some sort of golden streak from outside; she saw the light reflecting on her walls.

With a look out her window, she gasped to notice something odd, a sort of golden glow coming from below her window. Her parents were out, but she figured maybe they left the porch light on…Unlikely. It suddenly seemed to move, and Janni pulled herself to the window, almost suspicious of what she might find. Maybe someone was here? Then why wouldn't they ring the doorbell? She peered through the glass, over the window sill…

There was just light, from what she could tell. And it looked all the more brilliant, practically white. And just for a second, she swore that a face turned up to her…

Janni ran straight for her closet, grabbing her choice handgun. A stranger, and an alien stranger by the looks of it, was just a scenario that this house was ready for, with its quality collection of guns. She then rummaged around for some cartridges to load it with, when the room took on a golden glow and a voice made her turn in place.

"Janni," The light seemed to actually be in her room now, standing at the center of the place, with white yellow appendages swirled about the room. The shape looked majestic, but was still giving her the creeps. There was the face again, though, peering out with gold eyes at her.

"How'd you get in my room!? And how'd you know my name!?" Janni shrieked. Didn't she just see him standing outside? Her window wasn't even open! He took a small step forward, and she then aimed her unloaded handgun at the mystical creature.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot! And I _know_ how to use this thing!" The glowing figure looked cross eyed at the weapon that was practically in his face, then started laughing, leaving a very familiar feeling resting in Janni.

"Janni, even if that thing was loaded, you couldn't hurt me with it." His voice rang with a certain familiarity that resonated within Janni, letting her lower her useless weapon.

"J…Jordan?" She whispered, not daring to believe what her brain was coming up with. This…glowing…_creature_ was her brother?? The figure nodded. "It…it can't be…you're all…_glowy_!" Janni said blatantly, not even bothering to tap into her better vocabulary. Jordan grinned lopsidedly at his sister's odd behavior, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Yeah, well, things have changed, you know. I've changed." Jordan said, smiling, his golden eyes half lidded with longing that Janni didn't entirely understand. "But I suppose this would be a better way to talk to you," With that, the golden light began to recede into its owner, leaving him in an outfit of mulberry and purple color scheme. Janni turned on the ceiling light, since her brother no longer supplied light to the room.

He looked down at her just as he always did, with that dual hair color and goofy smile, though his eyes were no longer a deep brown, but the same gold they'd been moments ago. She stared, or rather, gaped at her big brother, finding herself to be, in her own words, confused as Hell.

"Jordan, since when do you wear pink?" she narrowed her eyes at him, almost suspiciously. Jordan looked forlornly at his outfit, and then back to her.

"Well, I have to, I mean…Janni." He suddenly turned serious as he said her name, earning a bit of surprise from her. "You've always wondered what really happened to me, haven't you? Why I couldn't return?" Janni nodded eagerly.

"Well, I'm here to tell you. I haven't got much time to be here, so…" He took some more steps towards his sister, and gripped her gently by the shoulder, bringing his other hand up to her face. As fingertips grazed her forehead beneath the blonde fringe of her bangs, Janni looked confusedly at him.

"Jordan, what are you…" Jordan had already shut his eyes, but made it somehow clear for her to be still.

"Just trust me, Jan. I'm telling you everything," with that, golden light poured from his fingertips and onto her head, though she didn't see it.

Before her eyes now, was a different scene, the view of the army gun range where they'd trained, where he was shooting at targets like nothing else, before a chunk of the wall collapsed from all the damage he'd done. Then there was a man, middle-aged and in a suit, with white streaks running through his black hair, saying that he'd take him…she somehow knew that 'him' was Jordan.

After that, things moved quickly, she saw the familiar scene of her brother saying goodbye, then it was on to completely different surroundings. She saw everything, and it felt like she was seeing it all at once. That racing pilot called Rick Thunderbolt, the mechanics known as Stan and Koji, that man from before, Don Wei…and her.

She suddenly knew all about the truth of this interplanetary race, everything about what the real terms of the race had been. She saw every race, every enemy and every friend, every twist and turn of her brother's story. She felt like she was living it at the speed of light. She saw the progress her brother had made as a person, all the little fights he had gotten into. Particularly highlighted, were the ones between himself and a certain Prince Aikka of Nourasia.

Most of all, she saw how her brother had _really_ changed; she watched him fall in love.

She could see that both Jordan and the Nourasian had fallen for the girl known as Molly, but in the end, it was her brother who actually become a hopeless romantic for her sake, him who got his feelings out in the open, it had been him that made the sacrifice of his human life for her. He'd given himself to the avatar's power before the evil Canaletto could do anything, he'd saved the galaxy as well as the one he loved when it was almost literally inches from falling into the hands of a crazed, crusader of a vulture. And as a result…

He had been torn from the life he once knew, the life he had wanted to make with Molly. It was the ultimate sacrifice.

She suddenly knew everything, and everything was coming down on her shoulders.

"Jordan…" She collapsed into his arms when the last of the pictures played across her vision, that last sight of the Oban modules taking off, taking Molly, or Eva, rather, back home to Earth. She almost _felt_ the tear that fell down her brother's cheek at that memory. "I'm so sorry…I never knew how huge this was…"

"I know," Jordan smiled, stroking the waves of his sister's hair. "I didn't expect you to know much. I know how touchy the government is about the subject…I know a lot of things now," He gripped her by the shoulders, taking her out of his chest so he could look at her properly. His expression was suddenly solid and serious.

"Janni, I need you to listen to me, I haven't got that much time, and I really shouldn't even be here," Janni nodded dutifully, too stunned for words anyway. "That girl, Eva Wei, is in danger. The Crogs have started another bout of war, this time against Nourasia. They've already attacked Aikka, but Eva is next." Janni stared at him, wide eyed. Though, judging by the concentrated story she'd just witnessed, the Crogs did have reason, in their own, twisted minds, to attack Aikka and Eva.

"Aikka is already here on Earth, and he's with her, but he is right to be worried about a Crog attack here. The Crogs are coming, and they're coming for her." His expression was stone, and his golden eyes that had seemed warm a few minutes ago carried strain.

"There's going to be another Crog invasion?" Janni asked light-headedly. She hadn't been alive for the first one, but stories she'd heard about it still left chills in her spine. Jordan looked away distractedly.

"I can't say much…I don't even know that much about it. Avatars have nearly limitless powers, but they still can't read the future. But I can tell you that an attack, if only to get Molly, is pretty definite. The president has even turned his back on offering her protection, and he's leaving the planet wide open along with that…" At that, his face seemed to carry a bit of disgust. "The good news is, though, Aikka's staying around to protect Eva. And I want you to do the same."

"Wha-?" Janni said, her normally wide eyes all the wider. Jordan nodded quickly. His time was running out, he could practically feel the Creators tugging him back to Oban.

"Janni, please, do this one thing for me. Protect Molly. She's…precious to me. But there's only so much attention I can pay to any one person now that I'm the avatar. I can only stick myself so far into the affairs of the planets. So I need you to promise me that you'll watch over her with Princey for me, alright?" Jordan looked at her desperately, feeling the clock ticking against him. Janni looked sadly at him, but nodded, certain of her task. "That's my girl. Oh, yeah, I want you to have this."

With that, the avatar held out a hand, before a couple of worn army tags materialized there, the chain coiled in his hand. Janni gaped at him, then the tags, before taking the chain between her fingers and lifting the things out of his palm.

"Grandpa and your ID tags?" She murmured, reading the marred letters on each.

"That's right. I want you to have them, Janni. They got me through every race alive, so Grandpa's gotta be doing something with 'em." Janni had already guided the necklace over her head, with the two silver plates dangling on her chest. She smiled up at him, and he quickly caught her wrist and brought her into a deep embrace.

"Thank you, Janni. I'll never forget this." Jordan shed a tear into his sister's hair, knowing he really wouldn't, not for his whole ten thousand year life.

Janni was just starting to cry her own tears into her brother's magenta outfit, when he suddenly disappeared gracefully from her tightening grasp, leaving her alone in her bedroom, surrounded by a slight haze of golden spots of light. The only signs that the whole thing had ever happened was the ID tags on her chest, and what seemed to be a symbol on her wrist. She supposed her brother put it there, as that was really the last place he'd been in contact with her. It nearly looked like a tattoo, some sort of odd tattoo that exuded white-gold light that her brother had been seemingly made of.

"_The mark of the Avatar will protect you, always, little sis."_

That was the last she heard of her brother that night, but, staring at her brother's insignia on her wrist, she felt honored that her brother was the head of the galaxy now, that he'd chosen her to trust with the protection of his most cherished treasure, this girl named Eva Wei. So much for boring nights…

Looking at the gun that she'd dropped on her bed, she smiled, deciding it was high-time she started packing.

--

"You're Jordan's sister," Eva had guessed, now taking the sight of the girl in.

No wonder she'd been so familiar. She had the same tan, the same eyes, she had even dyed her hair to look two-toned as her brother had done. She had a bit of muscle tone, but nowhere near overdone. Her shape was hidden beneath baggy cargo pants that tucked into her combat boots, and by a trench coat that she wore over herself. Beneath her mantle, though, there seemed to be what Eva knew as a peasant top, rather feminine, compared to the rest of the girl's outfit.

But the thing about her dress that most fascinated her was the pair of military ID tags that hung from her neck. She had seen them on Jordan several times, especially before a race when he'd usually ask his grandfather for good luck. She'd seen them floating along with him as he fell into the orb of power.

"That's right," Janni smiled to Eva, looking at her warmly. "I'm his sister. And I can tell you that he gives you his deepest regards, Eva."

Eva suddenly blushed, knowing what was probably meant by deepest regards. Aikka looked sideways at this, a little confused at the reasons for her reaction. He of course knew Jordan had developed feelings for Eva during the race, seeing as he was often the target of jealousy for this reason. But did this mean Eva knew about it too?

Perhaps something had happened between them…there was that section of time that was missing from his memory of their final confrontation with Canaletto, due to his unconsciousness. All he knew was that he was knocked out by the former avatar, and that he awoke in a reborn Oban, and figured out that Jordan had become the avatar in place of Eva. He could only wonder if something happened between the two humans while he was out.

There had to have been something he missed, he thought. And he found the prospect to be somewhat dismal to him, it left him a bit disappointed. Though he found himself again trying to scold himself for thinking that way…

"Jordan came to me last night as the Avatar, and gave me knowledge of everything that happened a year ago, and he also told me that Aikka's right, the Crogs have Eva targeted." Janni continued seriously, looking at everyone before landing her deep brown gaze on the prince, who in turn, jumped out of whatever thoughts he was having about Eva and her relationship with the gunner of a deity. "He sent me after her in order to protect her from the Crogs. An attack is an imminent possibility, but he couldn't tell me when. He just wants me to be here, and be ready."

All of the group sank a little at this news. Don seemed to be almost paralyzed, though he personally felt he shouldn't have been. He had known about this threat the past two days since Aikka had shown up injured and in his daughter's arms…but still the news that his only daughter was the target of the most hostile creatures in the galaxy became possibly more harrowing every time he heard it.

"Yes, well we should all be ready…" Don said somberly, silently cursing the current president of Earth. How long was it until the next election, again?

"We are glad to have you, Janni, Let us hope that we will all get through this together." With that he gave a look to Eva, who instantly felt the whole gravity of everything pulling on her shoulders. She and Aikka were the only true targets, yet she was bringing everyone down, even Jordan's little sister.

Janni, seeming to notice Eva's plight, came over to the girl and wrapped an arm around her.

"Your dad's right, we'll get through this, all of us, Eva," Eva seemed to lift with the gesture, smiling at the gunner girl. "Just trust my brother. He's gonna work things out," she then turned her look towards Aikka. "For everyone."

Aikka couldn't help but smile back, gratefully. It seemed Jordan had finally put their differences aside. This person called Janni, even seemed to be more hospitable than her brother had once been towards him. But the most important thing was, Jordan was protecting Eva still, in his own way. Eva now had that much more protection, and that was what really mattered to him.

--

An hour or so passed with Janni now in their party, and they found her to be quite enthusiastic and enjoyable company. Stan and Koji were pleased to actually have a gunner again to compliment the new racer, and Stan found his fantasies of shooting the Crogs from the sky to be renewed. They had insisted that she hop into the turret of the Phantom, to have a trained gun to make sure everything was in working order for such a momentous occasion.

Janni had a time of fun, pivoting the turret in every direction possible, even pretending to have some target practice. It was a good feeling to the girl that she was really following in her brother's footsteps now, sitting in the same design of turret as her brother once had. Even Janni started concocting her own fantasies of shooting opposing Crog armies out of the sky.

As pleased as he was now about his daughter having two dedicated guardians again, Don Wei, standing at the railing in front of his office, felt he was forgetting something. It was something that he felt should be obvious, though he had a time thinking about it…

His eyes found Eva, in her new home of a cockpit, testing out the communication system with Janni and the two mechanic boys. Today was Monday, he suddenly remembered, and he was startled to think for a second that Eva was ditching school.

But, no, he still had things to get used to about having a child; this was one of those 'inservice' days, as they called them…Though the subject of school brought something else up. He walked down the stairway to the garage floor, and did the courtesy of waiting until Eva climbed out of the cockpit and onto the ladder to bring it up.

"Eva, have you done any homework in these last few days?" He asked the girl seriously, just as she met the halfway mark of the ladder. Crimson eyes looked obliviously into her father's hardened obsidian black ones, and it clicked in her mind that she had indeed been neglecting her homework…and not for the first time.

"Yeah, I got it pretty much finished," She shrugged nonchalantly, choosing to look at the steel ladder as she scaled down it.

"Don't lie to me, young lady," Don told his daughter sternly, as she turned her blank face to him. "I know how to tell when someone is lying, believe me." He sort of grinned at that, and Eva looked off, knowing she'd been caught.

"Sorry, dad…" She said quietly, before Don set a hand on her shoulder.

"Eva, you can't keep slipping up on your homework, I know it seems useless to you, but believe me, it's better to be well-rounded." Eva turned a smile to her father, who smiled back knowingly. "Now, I want you to get back to the house, get your schoolwork, and come straight back here, is that understood? I want it done before you go back to school tomorrow."

Eva nodded, sporting a look as if she'd just been sentenced to jail time. Don patted her lightly on the back.

"Good girl. Oh, and have the prince accompany you, as well," he said, catching a glimpse of the prince by his beetle. "I believe Janni is still busy with the turret…" He said this just as Janni discovered how to switch sides in the turret, giving a squeal form inside the craft to exhibit her excitement as such. Eva couldn't help but laugh at the sound.

"Alright, I guess I'll be back, then…" Eva said, recalling her duty. It was funny, she'd done everything on Alwas and Oban without a second thought, but when it came to non-life threatening things like doing homework, all she wanted to do was stall. She grumbled at the irony as she shuffled off to find the prince.

He was leaning against the door again, staring at the sky. To the girl, it looked as if he was simply contemplating the possibility of rain. Though, truthfully, Aikka was feeling more unease than before. He sensed something…

"Hey, time for a field trip!" Eva came up behind him, interrupting his thoughts, bringing him back to reality with a start.

"Ah, a what?" he asked her curiously at the strange phrase.

"A field trip. We gotta go back to the house. Dad figured out I haven't touched my homework this weekend…" Eva informed him grimly, as she kicked up the kickstands to her bike. Aikka still looked puzzled, but nodded, first going to grab his bow and quiver off of G'dar. "You, ah, really think we'll need those?" Eva asked him nervously as he landed squarely on the ground next to his mount.

"I sincerely hope not," was all Aikka supplied as he attached his quiver full of arrows to his back, slinging his bow on a shoulder. "It is better to be prepared rather than unprepared." Eva shrugged, but gave a nod, throwing her leg over the seat of her rocket seat.

Wrapping his arms around Eva's waist from behind, Aikka truly hoped that he was just being paranoid…Still, he held to her, finding himself more protective of her than ever before.

--

The silence of the Wei household was broken by a distant rumble of thunder, as well as the clinking of a key in the lock of the front door. Satis, who had just been enjoying a nice nap on the couch where Aikka had designated himself during the nights, looked to the door, blinking his cat eyes several times. Unfurling himself from his curled position, he jaunted over just as Eva and Aikka were admitted entrance.

Stepping in, Eva rubbed her arms speedily, trying to get rid of the chill that was on them.

"It's probably going to start raining soon," She observed to Aikka, who filed in after her, his blue eyes still scanning for hidden dangers. Still carrying his bow and quiver, he watched the girl before him lean down and retrieve the mewing Satis.

"Hey, beautiful," she cooed to the young cat, before setting him back down and turning to Aikka again. Giving him a quick once over, his posture and facial expression gave her all the information she needed. "Aikka, you look a little tense, you've been kind of out of it most of the day," She observed of the prince, concerned. Aikka snapped back to reality, and a grimace formed on his face.

"It's just, a feeling I have…I daresay we should not remain here for long, Molly. We need to keep you under full protection," Aikka told her quietly, leaving Eva to stare. She managed to shake herself out of her stunned look before he turned his blue orbs back to her, and nodded in agreement. Turning, she began towards the stairs.

"I'll just get my stuff, then," Eva told the Prince, who was now staring off into the flat screen of the television, just as tense as she'd seen him all day. Staring at his reflection in the screen, Aikka pondered whether or not to voice the other nagging that had taken to monopolizing his thinking space. The sound of Eva's foot connecting with the first step made him throw himself into a decision.

"Molly," he requested her attention, causing Eva to turn her eyes to look at him, crimson and full of question. Aikka's own blue connected with her eyes, and he fiddled absently with a pocket on Rick's jacket.

"Molly, I hope you don't take me as prying, but if I may ask," Aikka started, finding Eva turning fully towards him. "I wonder, what exactly happened in the Temple of the Heart? After I was rendered unconscious?" Eva's breath seemed to catch in her throat, even Aikka heard it from where he stood next to the couch.

Eva smiled at him, coming away from the stairs. He did have a right to know, she figured; he was just as much involved as she was.

"Well, I didn't hear from you or Jordan, so I went for the pyramid, but Canaletto appeared in front of me before I got there," Aikka shifted at this, regretting that he hadn't been able to protect her that day, and not for the first time. Eva's expression looked worse, though, considering what had been revealed to her in that confrontation. "He told me everything, how he'd been messing with the course of time, just to set me up so I'd come to race on Oban, so I'd win, and so I'd turn down the avatar's powers…"

Now she sat down on the coffee table, setting her head in her hands, staring at Satis who was sitting peacefully before his master. Aikka looked her over with a new feeling of thoughtfulness. So explained some of the more phenomenal happenings of the race…

"So, Sul was a victim of Canaletto?" Aikka suggested quietly, sitting on the couch and leaning forward to her. Eva nodded.

"He caused everything. He caused my mother's crash, and all that time I blamed Spirit for everything, for splitting up my family." Eva confirmed with a sort of sad malice. "He made Rick crash in the first race, too, he made it so he'd never be able to race again, just so the team would be forced to bring me in."

Aikka nodded, seeing it as logical, though it was even more sinister and conniving than he'd first thought Canaletto as being. It made his insides squirm, just thinking of how Eva would have felt back then, just thinking of having ones entire life plotted out, by a so-called 'crusader of purity', no less.

"Then, he forced me to activate the pyramid, but the Creators showed up, and tried to fight him," Eva's voice elevated a little with the tidbit of good news. "They started forming an orb above the pyramid as Canaletto fought all of them off. When the last one was gone, Canaletto went for it to become Avatar, but…" She suddenly stopped; this was the part that always wrenched her heart, knowing her partner took the prize that was never meant for him. Aikka looked intently at her, showing her kind blue eyes if she so chose to look at them.

"Jordan somehow managed to climb to a ledge above the pyramid, and he told me…" She suddenly looked at Aikka, finding him motionless, as if he'd been set in 'pause' for a moment. "He said that he loved me, and then…he jumped."

Aikka let out the breath that he'd been holding for the past few moments. It hurt him to see Eva's face with such sadness in it. He placed a soft hand on her shoulder, leading her to look at him again.

"I'm sorry," Aikka told her softly. "I wish I could have been of more use to you both back then, things might have ended up differently…" Eva shook her head lightly, almost recoiling from the regret that she clearly heard in his voice.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." She said, standing up, and rubbing her arms as if she were cold. Aikka stared up at her now, wondering guiltily if maybe he should have never delved into the subject at all.

"I don't think it would have worked out either way, whatever happened," she told him quietly, looking off. Aikka's look then turned to one of confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked her, taking to his feet himself.

"Jordan said he loved me, but…I don't think I ever felt that way towards him." Eva explained, finding the carpeted ground suddenly interesting. "I knew he was trying to make moves on me throughout the race, but I didn't acknowledge it…I pretended to be oblivious. It started out more as a way to keep him away, really, I had bigger things to deal with, considering my father was just starting to catch on about who I was…I really just focused mainly on that and the races."

"Besides, I'd always seen him as my partner, or even a brother, but not really anything more. So that's how it was, he chased me, but I raced and avoided him. Then, when it came down to him taking the prize instead of me, I just felt bad for kind of leading him on, I suppose…That he loved me that much but I couldn't return the feeling." Eva told the prince regretfully. "Either way, I think I'd have just ended up breaking his heart."

She scuffed at the carpet with the sole of her sneaker now, and Aikka could only watch over her sadly. He sensed there also was a little more about the subject that was bothering her, however. He decided that he shouldn't intrude any more though, and designated himself to look over to the vast window that served as the side wall of the room.

Eva stared at the carpet, and sighed. There really was another thing tugging at her own mind about the whole subject of love, and she had heard somewhere that the only way to let someone know about your feelings was to voice them. She agreed fully with that philosophy, but it still left her beyond nervous to even think of herself admitting this one thing out loud. For a short while, the only sound was the steady roll of thunder from outside.

"Aside from all that, there was someone else," Eva stated as nervous as her voice was quiet.

Blue eyes turned to look sideways at her, and found her in a timid posture, hands jammed in her pockets, eyes still focused on the floor below. Had the lighting been better, he may have noticed the faint pink starting to show up on her face again.

"There was someone else that I barely stopped thinking about…But I didn't think he'd ever return the feeling. In fact, I thought he saw me as not much more than target practice, at times…"

Aikka finally turned fully towards her now, his crystal eyes wide, his breath catching in his throat again. He could have sworn he felt his heart miss a few beats. Several emotions were running through his head right now, disbelief being one of the more dominant. Despite his active thoughts and emotions, it seemed his voice had run off. Had she really said what he thought she said?

Eva, meanwhile, didn't take the liberty of finding his reaction, and turned for the stair way, hiding her blush from the prince.

"I'm gonna go get my stuff…Dad's probably waiting." And she did just that, leaving Aikka paralyzed in the middle of her living room.

Aikka's breath finally left him roughly, and he reached a hand out, as if he could stop her from across the room. He watched, silently trying to find words as her last foot ascended out of sight and around the corner of the stairway landing.

"Molly," he finally murmured to no one, his fist clenching at his side, his ears drooping slightly to exhibit the regret that had never left him since the race. "I never saw you as target practice…"

Looking up again, he suddenly started in the direction of the stairs. He couldn't let her think even for a second that he thought that! A flash of brilliant white light from the window behind him, however, called him back, along with a particularly nasty grumble of thunder. Looking towards the window, he saw the sky, a deep, ominous grey. Crystal eyes narrowed at the sight, as he proceeded over to the glass.

Rain speckled the glass from the other side, but Aikka didn't care to notice. He was more concerned about the clouds. That foreboding feeling had come back full force, he knew something was wrong, there was something more to this weather. Shouldering his bow, he used both of his hands in a formation of Nourasian magic.

"_By the spirits, unmask the guised, reveal the wicked_," He murmured in his own tongue, his headpiece beginning to glow cerulean, and before his lidded eyes, he searched for the truth.

He could see the cloud, but using his arcane eye to sense the hidden, he saw beyond. He could see, finally, what had been driving him insane all day. There behind that ominous cloud cover that he'd been eyeing suspiciously all day, was the true danger. First he saw three yellow dots, arranged in a triangle…then a flash of yellow blades. His ears were open as well, and they caught the deep voice, the chilling message;

"The target is in sight, I'm going in."

All at once, the Nourasian's blue aura disappeared back into it's headpiece of a host, and his cerulean eyes snapped open.

"Molly!" he hissed, whirling around and sprinting for the stairway.

Eva, meanwhile, was virtually clueless to the danger lurking just above the house, and was just stuffing her school-issued laptop into her back pack. To say nothing of all the distracting thoughts running through her head about what she'd just told the prince. Her face still felt warm to her, and she found herself wondering what the prince was thinking about the hint she'd just dropped.

Satis was on her window sill, but contrastingly avid about his activity; on his hind legs, he was standing on the glass of her window, mewing urgently. He seemed to be pawing at the window when Eva finally noticed him, strapping the bag to her back and looking at the cat with a look of bewilderment.

"What's up with you?" she walked up behind the animal, and looked out the window. As luck would have it, she looked up just in time to see a triangle of yellow dots appear, misted over by the clouds. The girl found herself suddenly frozen as the blades appeared next, even if only for a second…It was a pattern of light that was far too familiar to her…

Aikka dashed up the stairs, taking no less than three at a time, before he came to the upper hallway. He found that there were a few doors aligned in the corridor, and he had no idea which was Eva's room. He saw one towards the end, where the door was open, and overcast light shown through to the darkness of the hall. Deciding that was a good place to start, he pelted down the darkened hall.

"Molly!" He shouted as he slid to a stop just outside the door, finding Eva just in the process of grabbing up her cat and pelting for the door herself. Aikka could see the fear in her scarlet eyes, even from halfway across the room, the desperation that made her run straight for him, for the safety that she trusted him to provide.

"Aikka!!" She cried his name as she dove into his chest while his arms drew her in. For a split second, he just held her there, his lips pressed into her crimson hair, and only the small body of Satis separating them, before the prince noticed the shadow looming into the room from outside.

That shadow only stayed for another fraction of a second before it happened. The sickening sound of metal ripping through the wood structure of the house, the sight of the blade of the Crog's ship invading Eva's bedroom, and coming straight towards the couple and the cat. The feeling of Eva flinching into him at the sound of her house being assaulted had to be the sensation that left the most of an impression on the Nourasian, however horrible the sights and sounds were in the exact same moment.

"Get down!!" Aikka yelled, covering Eva with his arms, one remaining wrapped around her shoulders, his other supporting her red and black head as he flung himself and the girl to the side of the door, hugging her close and restraining her head from hitting the floor in the dive.

The blades of the ship continued to breech the house, and the fact that they weren't yet activated seemed to be the reason why so much damage was being caused to the place. Wood splintered and flew freely, plaster exploded from the wood it had covered, and Aikka felt it all raining down on his back. It was all he could do to attempt to cover Eva completely from the haze of what were once the walls of her house.

He supported himself against the weight of the rubble, but stayed close enough to Eva to feel the round structures of her racing goggles pressing into the top of his chest as the rest of her seemed to cringe beneath him. The cat between them seemed to be quite harassed at the weight of the Nourasian on top of him, judging by the tiny stabs of pain now in Aikka's stomach, but that had to be the least of his problems now.

Holding his princess (and the cat) closer to himself and shielding them both from the barrage of splinters and plaster still spraying the hallway, he prayed to every entity he knew of that this time, he'd be able to protect her.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Oh my goodness, I told you guys there was going to be a change of pace, ne? Oh, and am I mistaken, or is this my first cliffie? Mwaha, I actually spent a little thinking time pondering when around this time I'd cut chapters off, and I came to this conclusion, so yeah. A little action going on, now! And how'd I do on their little discussion and Eva's feelings toward Jordan(and Aikka)? I suppose her little explanation really is my interpretation of Molly's feelings…Just my speculation from watching the show, I suppose. Anyway.

Next chapter, the Crogs are fulfilling Kross's little threat! Or trying to, despite Eva's guardian's protectiveness over her. And just days after the president denies the possibility of an invasion! .:tsk tsk:. How's that foot tastin', McMillan? Anway, how will the gang survive the latest invasion? Will they all get out unscathed? Maybe Aikka has something up his sleeves…


	12. The Beginning of War

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Woo, just barely made it a week after my last update! I just wrapped this one up, I have officially caught up with my self in terms of what I have posted and what I have written. I'm gonna have to work hard on the story this week, I prefer to be at least a chapter ahead of myself…Anyway, I' have been busy with other internet ventures, such as Deviant Art, and my newfound mission on GaiaOnline to create an Oban guild! Any Gaians lurking around here? So, yeah, I've been hoarding gold on that site so I can create a little guild for Oban nuts like us. Interested, just say so and I'll make a note of it and keep you posted. Keep in mind though, I'm still poor compared to the total I'm trying to collect. It may be a couple of months or so until I can establish the guild.

I also noticed another brain fart in my last chapter, I said somewhere that Janni was 'her sister's brother'….0o I honestly don't know where that one came from, and I humbly apologize…Like I said, I'm a major klutz…and I ran into a wall this morning. I was sleep-deprived, dang it!! I blame the government. XD

So, this chapter is pretty eventful, we start with Rick discovering something, and Janni takes charge X3 And of course, how is Aikka planning to protect Molly with Crogs flying all about? We'll see after I write to all of my wonderful, loved reviewers:heart:

_Spellcaster Hikaru:_ Yep, I love the idea of Jordan in pink (then again, I'm just evil like that sometimes!) If you've seen that picture I have on DeviantArt, then that proves my point! That scene was actually inspired by that drawing .:grins evilly while Jordy glares at me:. And I wouldn't put it past the government to be that caring, especially not with Mcmillan in charge. Tattoos are totally awesome, I commend Molly for getting some on her face, and I commend the person who did it for her for doing such a good job XD And I hate needles too! Oo but I still want a tattoo…See, what I'd probably end up doing with the star racer is what Jordan did to it in episode 3(?). I'd probably be very bad luck for it….:cries:. I do want to join back up with the martial arts, as well as swimming, and soccer…Then I'd probably drive myself to an early grave, and I'd never have any fanfiction done! I do think that someday I'll get back into martial arts, though. I'm a Japanophile, so it may be some un publisized, unheard of type dojo that I join XD I just remembered how mad I was when I figured out that my school taught Korean rather than Japanese karate! Lol…that was back when I was still a blossoming otaku XD Anyway, I'll see what I come up with for Toros, and if I don't, I'll come to you, Hikaru-chan X3 And I'm glad you liked the magical sight trick I gave Aikka, I actually kind of got it from the show(the last episode) It looked to be what he was doing, so….:shrugs:. And yes! The president should be impeached for ignoring intelligence!! Aikka is quite reliable intelligence! X3 And I don't mind your long reviews, I find them quite entertaining! .:glomps Hikaru-chan:. X3

_Crazyvegimab: _Canaan is partially done and still lurking about in my sketchbook .:shifty eyes:. He needs color… Anyway! Thank you for your review, and I'm pleased that my characters are coming off as real! As to Molly's feelings, like I said, I was speculating. It's how I saw them during the show…I'm totally Aikka-biased, so maybe it's just me! O.o lol

_Shrouded View: _.:laughs maniacally:. Cliffhangers are so much fun to do, how can I resist? And yes, on the writer's side of things, cliffhangers are great tools for building suspense and all those good things X3 I agree, the president needs impeachment! There's gonna be a scandal about this attack at the white house, I can feel it!! XD Meanwhile I will force McMillan to eat his shoe. Glad you like! .:Glomps:.

_Marinademix:_ Squee! I'm glad my story made your day! That's awesome! .:glomps with joy and love:. Yes, it's time for Aikka to belt out some more mad Crog-ass-kicking Nourasian magic! We'll see what he does, shall we? ;)

_APurpleAvacado: _Poor Janni, finding out her brother has to wear pink…XD Sorry, I guess I just can't leave it alone!

RedMageSalyre: Yep, as I said to Shrouded, the president's gonna be eating his shoe, whilst being questioned for ignoring warnings about an attack! Oh, poor Don Wei, ye have so little faith in him? XD We'll see what he does. And you share my exact sentiments on the whole Aikka/Molly situation! .:glomps:. Yeah, to me, that kiss did seem like it was more Jordan kissing her, and her just standing there stunned, allowing him to show her how much he loved her…Gawd, it's still sad! Ack…And I couldn't really tell if it was just a peck on the cheek or an actual kiss either… O.o the way Savin drew it, it kind of left it in a way to the imagination…

_Sekai Nerah: _I'm glad I pulled off the talk and that it's actually your favorite part:) So you type in the closet on your laptop? That is so cool! I wish I had a laptop so I could sit somewhere comfy and type this stuff out instead of on my silly little folding chair. But I could see me sitting in a closet typing on a laptop, it's totally something I'd do! 'Course, my closet currently has my bed in it, so…

_Thechickenlittle: _I'd have a protector-complex in his situation too, especially if I had all the spiffy weaponry and magic he's got… Oo …sparkly…I'd have a fun little Crog shoot-out, I would! XD Thanks for the reviews! .:huggles:.

_Isabella of the Night: _hee hee, I love being evil…Poor Don Wei, he doesn't seem to be getting that much love this time around, does he? Lol We'll see how he handles things, I definitely addressed it :)

_Frubaforever: _I love Satis, I could never bring myself to leave that kitty in a Crog infested house! I adore cats, really, which is probably why Satis exists in this story:) You have 4 cats? You lucky person you O.o I only have one. I love her though! .:glomps her kitty:. Ooh, Yaoi! It's shiny…Anyway, enjoy the update! X3

_A13Van: _Alas, I've hit the 8-day mark again! (I do this late at night, so it's 12:30 in the morning right now) Sorry to take 8 days again, I'll get on writing the next chapter tomorrow! Enjoy!

_Dolphingurl08: _Thanks for the review, and here's the next one!

_Fushica: _Yeah, the house is pretty much gone, but Satis lives on! Thanks for the reviews:)

_Crystal Persian: _Heh, thanks! Here's another update for ya,

**--**

**-Chapter 12-**

**The Beginning of War**

**--**

Rick Thunderbolt smiled to himself as he pulled into his office on the upper floor of the Wei hangar. Events outside were getting rather exciting, now that they had Jordan's livewire of a sister there. It was all he could hope for that she didn't get too trigger happy and actually shoot something in the garage with the turret guns. She really was her brother's sister.

Though with a sigh, he realized that today was doing wonders in bringing him back to that fact that he was barred from racing. Seeing Eva race, though enjoyable, usually left him with a vague remnant of that initial solemnity that he couldn't find himself in a racer again. Then there was the newest 'little mouse,' bringing him back to his first race with the other gunner, the thrill of a race with a risk of death and destruction.

Scratching the back of his head under the mass of black hair, he wondered over to the couch in his dark room of an office, deciding for the moment to leave the lights off. He had come in here on the purpose of finishing up some paperwork for the upcoming Grand Prix -something that could actually be done, now that they had a decided-upon racer- but he decided he could procrastinate a little longer.

So, he flopped onto the couch, not bothering to take off his shades. Laying back on the armrest, he searched the coffee table for the remote control to the television. Flipping through the stations for a while, he found, unsurprisingly, nothing to be on. Rolling his eyes behind his shades, he gave a little grumble.

"The end of the twenty-first century and we still haven't mastered the art of good daytime television." He sighed after discovering probably the fifth station that was airing a soap opera. "You'd think we'd done away with this garbage by now…"

Standing up to the purpose of retrieving his work from his desk, Rick made to turn off the TV, when the screen suddenly changed in the middle of a show. His thumb hovered in mid-air over the 'power' button as he saw what looked to be a news bulletin came up. An urgent one at that.

"Breaking news," some woman reporter began, a slight hint of panic in her voice. "Reports say that there have been sightings of Crog ships throughout the regions of…"

Rick's mouth fell open, hardly daring to believe that he'd just heard this region as the first listed on the woman's report. The voice of the reporter continued, though the screen was now showing pictures, professional and witness, that contained what he knew were the vessels known as Crog tridents, the same that Eva had raced and defeated on Alwas. He saw familiar angles of the city they were now in, which only led his heart to race faster.

"There has been word of an attack on one of the most equipped military bases, but cities have also been reportedly attacked as well. No word on a cause of this sudden development, but civilians are all advised to take to the shelters of your houses or businesses while military action is taken…"

The woman continued to warn the people of Earth, but Rick could only hear the beat of his heart. He could feel his hands just beginning to shake. Letting the remote slip from his hand with a clatter, the man then stormed for the door.

"Don! Where's Eva!?" Rick's voice boomed through the garage, as he gripped the metal railing to try to keep his nerves from getting out of control. Not only Don, but the entire group turned to look up at the former pilot, expressions of bewilderment on their faces. Janni looked at him with particular interest.

"She went with the prince to get her homework, Rick," Don looked quizzically at his practically panicking assistant, noting with a certain degree of worry that the younger man's hands were shaking; not a good sign. At Don's response, Rick seemed to freeze, as if paralyzed by the elder's very words.

"You've got to be kidding me!" he shouted, banging a fist onto the railing now. Janni suddenly became all the more worried.

"What's this about, Rick?" she asked seriously, looking up at him.

"We've got company. All of Earth's got company." Rick murmured. That was all the others needed. Don's eyes widened as he let out a gasp, and he pelted up the stairs. Stan and Koji exchanged pained looks, and Janni grabbed a gun and some ammunition out of her bag. It didn't take but seconds for them to all be collected in the dark of Rick's office, viewing more pictures of the Crogs' invasion.

Regions that had already been attacked ran along the bottom of the screen, while pictures of destruction and sightings played on the rest of the screen, all the while the woman reporter continued reporting what she knew.

Don watched, with hollow eyes, as everything happened on screen. He'd never forgive himself if he'd sent his daughter off to be killed in this attack…Why had he sent her off like that? And with only one to protect her?

Stan and Koji stood behind the manager, thunderstruck, and Janni stood with her hand cannon at the ready, staring at the screen and taking in the information. Her dark eyes were narrowed as she read every bit of information and perked her ears to all that was said as well.

Rick felt his hands still shaking at his sides, and though he willed it not to happen, his vision was starting to haze a little. Every image taunted him, it was as if he wanted to see if anything was hitting close to Eva, but at the same time, he couldn't bear to see for fear of the worst.

"Jordan was right, it looks like they must be focusing on getting Eva," Janni observed quietly. Stan looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean by that? How can you tell?" Janni pointed towards the screen.

"You see the banner of regions that have been attacked? They're all around this region, this city. Aside from the attack on the major military bases, the Crogs are focusing in on this area. They obviously know where Eva is." She explained, feeling a chill run up her spine at the thought of them being so knowledgeable. "They don't want our military getting involved, either. That's obviously why they've attacked our major bases. It'll put our military even lower on resources…Mr. Wei, where is it you and Eva live?"

Don turned his head slightly to look at her, but it took a few seconds for him to find words to place in his mouth.

"Just east of here, in the countryside," He murmured. Janni nodded.

"Rick, I'm gonna use your computer for a second." Janni said before hurrying over to the desk and activating the computer, making a laptop screen rise up from the surface of the desk. Her fingers flew across the plain that was the keypad, and the screen soon displayed the database for her academy. Typing her code in with all the speed of a lightning bolt, she felt the presence of Stan and Koji beside her.

"This should show a map of the area, and if it's really meant to do what they planned, it'll show all foreign vessels in the region," She explained as her fingers worked the name of the region into the search template. Hitting the confirm button, Janni waited as the page processed and surveyed the satellites, as how it was said to work. "It was developed a few years ago, but since there hasn't been any invasion to test it out on, it's only a prototype,"

The screen showed up as green, similar to Stan and Koji's own computers, and showed a virtual map of the downtown area. Leaning forward in her seat, Janni surveyed the page.

"It looks like there are some in the city itself…We'd better be ready," Janni observed, finding a few red dots roaming about in the streets, as it appeared.

Tapping a button a few times, the image scanned to progressively move to the right, or eastward, as it were in real life. Don just came up behind the two mechanics, staring blankly at the screen as it moved east. Further and further, it approached the home he had shared with his only daughter for the past year.

There was a sudden flash of the word 'warning,' coming over the image of the map, and Don snapped back to reality, and he looked to Janni.

"What does that warning mean?" he demanded, before the building began to vibrate under their feet. It felt as if the place were taking fire. If Rick had to guess by the direction of the sound, he'd say that the high rise section of Wei Enterprises was getting a makeover. He held a fist in his hand as he leaned against a wall to stable himself. What a fantastic time to have an attack…

"My guess is that it was sensing a Crog ship very close to the vicinity of the computer," Koji analyzed quickly, saving Janni the interruption. Janni nodded without taking her concentration from the screen as it began moving east again. Her brown eyes then found something. It wasn't anything good, but it was still something.

"Here," She said, pointing to the screen. "There's a group of two, around this structure…" She said grimly. Don threw himself to look at the display, his eyes shutting from the sheer injustice of it as he confirmed his fears.

"Eva…" He muttered, pulling himself off of the desk, unable to keep his fists from quivering. Why did he have to send her out of his sight? He may've just sent her and the prince to their deaths…

"Don, where are you going?" Rick managed in a low growl as he caught sight of the manager heading for the door of the office.

"I'm going to go get my daughter. I made the mistake of abandoning her once, I'm not letting it happen again." Don said fiercely. Janni suddenly leapt from her seat.

"We have to stay here, if any of us go out there we run the risk of them taking us out," She told him bluntly, managing to stick herself between the man and the garage floor by way of the stairs.

"That is a risk I am willing to take, young lady," Don told her roughly, his dark eyes boring into hers. "Are you or are you not a guardian of my daughter?"

"I am, but so is Aikka!" Janni threw back, her temper proving to be a good match for the man's. "Aikka is with her, and he will defend her to the death if he has to! Even my brother knows that!"

"It doesn't matter who is with her, I am not losing my only daughter again!!" Don retorted, now trying to maneuver the girl to the side.

"You go out there, then they're going to come back here and she will have lost her only father. Again!" Janni yelled. "Believe me, Aikka will bring her back here as soon as the Crogs so much as look at her, he isn't an idiot! And if any one of us isn't here when she gets back, it'll break Eva! Is that really what you want?"

Before the dumbstruck Don could say anything, another vibration shook the garage, this one with more fury than before, as loose laser fire seemed to assault the roof of the place as some ships passed outside. G'dar was heard in the background, shrieking at both the attack and the absence of his master.

Another wave of vibrations was sent through the structure, this time more powerful than the first two, as if the side of the wall next to them were being hammered. All of the crew grabbed for the metal railing to keep their balance, but the newest bout managed in knocking Don Wei off of one stair, causing him to roughly land on one below, and not with his foot in the most optimal position. Growling at the sound of a pop, the man fell forward.

"Sir!" Janni cried, doing all she could to keep him from falling, while the two mechanics rushed up from behind, grabbing the old man by the arms. Pulling him into a seat on the stairs, the three took to examining his ankle.

"It's fine, I just twisted it," Don told them dismissively, trying to push himself up, though his own face was betraying him in the lie.

"I heard the pop just as well as you, sir, you did more than twisting it," Janni told him, looking the injury over. "It's starting to swell…You definitely sprained it…Is there any ice lying around this garage?" She asked the boys next to her.

"I think there's some in the break room," Koji offered. Janni nodded.

"You two get him to the shelter room-this place does have one, right?" A nod from Don confirmed her question. "Right. And I'll go get some ice. And don't move your ankle or put any weight on it!" Janni instructed firmly, earning a defeated nod from Don, who found himself in an ironic situation of having a teenager boss him around. Koji and Stan hoisted the manager onto their shoulders and helped him limp off to safety, while Janni headed up the stairs.

"Rick, you should go down there too," she told the man gently, knowing that his condition was trying to overpower him. He smiled brokenly at her.

"Thanks little gunner. I've never seen anyone boss the old man around so easily, good job." Janni smiled slyly at him.

"Yeah just get down there and make sure he doesn't make a run for it, alright?" Rick smiled smugly.

"Wouldn't dream of it. You sure you know what you're doing?" He asked, starting down the stairs in the light of the place that was now flickering with the stress the city was being put under.

"I'm just trusting my gut." Janni said, starting on the upper level for the break room. "They don't teach us nothing in military academy."

Rick gave her a nod, feeling the strain that this condition was putting on his body. He started down the stairs before another assault would lead him to be the second injured of the group, and made quickly for the shelter that lay under the offices. Janni stole into the break room in question, heading straight for the refrigerator. Grabbing the cold icepack there along with a cloth to wrap it in, she sent her concerns to Aikka.

"Come on, Pretty Boy, just don't make me a liar. Bring her back…"

--

Things were suddenly calmed, but Aikka doubted it would last long. It was the eye of the storm, as the human saying went, and there was only a little time before something started up again.

Supported by his elbows, he lifted himself slightly, feeling wreckage slide off of his back as he rose. Finding Eva's face, he saw that she was tightly shutting everything out, fear written all over her tattooed face. He brought the arm that had supported her shoulders out from under her, and brought his hand to stroke some tiny bits of wreckage off of her face.

"Molly, are you hurt?" he asked her quietly and urgently.

Finally her crimson eyes opened narrowly and looked at him. She shook her head, and he lifted himself up further, keeping his senses attune for anything at all that would herald danger. Satis, who finally had room to breathe, squirmed in Eva's arms, though she refused to let him go. As Aikka silently pulled his bow off his shoulder and plucked an arrow from his quiver, Eva sat up just as quietly, restraining Satis with one arm and taking off her back pack with the other. Dumping out her laptop, she silently argued with Satis, trying to make him get into the bag; the only means of getting the animal safely out of the house, as Eva saw it.

Aikka listened to the surroundings as he stripped himself of Rick's warm, yet cumbersome trench coat, certain that his performance would be better if not hindered by the over supply of material. Surveying the surroundings, he found that the Crog trident had lodged itself well into the house, providing them with no pathway back to the stairs.

Suddenly, he finally heard signs of the enemy, from within the remains of Eva's room, the sound of a great foot crunching over pieces of wood and glass.

"Oh great winner of Oban, where are you?" The Crog's voice came as a sort of malicious sing-song tone, "My dear General would like a word with you!" At this, Aikka stiffened, knowing the Crog's real purpose with Eva

Aikka lifted himself nimbly from the floor and helped Eva to her feet, dragging her down the rest of the hallway. Crouching and shielding her behind a hall table.

"We must get out of here, they wish to retrieve you alive, which can only mean a worse fate when met with Kross…" He muttered into her ear as he crouched to surround the girl with his arms. He turned a look of determination at her, "Is there any other way out?"

Eva nodded and tugged him towards the other door that was just feet away from them.

"My dad's room has a terrace," She explained, leading him through the door and into her father's master bedroom. Aikka suddenly stopped her, and he motioned for her to get down. Obeying and holding the Satis bearing back pack to her as she sank to a crouch at the foot of the bed, she watched the prince approach the sliding door, an arrow set on the string of his bow. Noises from outside the room suggested to her that the Crog in the house was hacking at the door frame of her bedroom to try to get admittance for his great form into the hallway. She looked urgently to the prince, finding him muttering an incantation next to the open glass door.

Leaping in front of the door now, he shot off a luminescent arrow, and she felt it collide with the Crog ship outside more than she heard it. It seemed to have been a powerful magic that created some sort of wave, from what Eva could tell without a visual. And as much as she could focus on it, now with the sound of hacking being traded for large footsteps outside in the hallway.

Aikka motioned for her to come to him, and she readily obeyed. Taking her by the waist and guiding her out into the increasing rain, Eva saw that there was a crashed trident sitting in her back yard, blue threads of electricity flashing around it every once and a while. Her eyes widened at this, but she had little time to dwell on it. Aikka was meanwhile inspecting for a way down, and he could only come to one possible conclusion; jumping.

"Molly, come here," He beckoned her, hearing the footsteps of the Crog approaching through the master bedroom. Setting his bow back on to his shoulder, he grabbed Eva, taking her into her arms as if she were his bride. This earned a confused look from Eva, but the girl wrapped her arms around his neck as he hopped with ease onto the railing of the balcony.

"Aikka, are you sure you can…?" Eva wondered aloud, before the Nourasian leapt just as the Crog joined them on the deck with a swinging grab for the human. Aikka landed a little roughly on the grass, but it didn't affect him for long. He gave her a quick smile as he set her down and grabbed his bow again, setting an arrow to the string.

"We're going back to your father and the others, so make for your rocket seat!" he told her, retrieving his bow and setting an arrow in one swift move. Aiming for the Crog above on the balcony they'd just leapt from, the arrow began glowing blue. The look she gave him then, however was one of slight fear and surprise.

"Go, I'll be right behind you!" he demanded her almost desperately, knowing their window for escape was closing with every second.

Eva nodded, though she hated the idea of wondering off by herself, and turned for the gate that was just yards away. She heard the arrow behind her whiz through the air, followed by a sound that she could only think was the Crog getting hit with whatever magic Aikka had enchanted his shot with. It was just seconds after that, as she opened the gate a crack, that she felt the prince standing protectively behind her. A quick survey of the area by way of one of his telepathic sweeps told him that their path to the rocket seat would be clear, if they moved quickly.

"Come," He said, pressing her through the gate and running with her in a slouch. They were just feet away now, and somehow the bike hadn't been assaulted by the Crogs in the attack.

Tossing her back pack on, equipping it to her chest rather than her back, Eva leapt on her bike, jamming her foot onto the pedal and twisting the handlebar all at once. Aikka grabbed another arrow and set it to the string, and sat on the extended part of the seat, holding on to the vehicle with his legs rather than holding to Eva.

Once the machine hummed into life, Eva wasted no time in tearing down the driveway that would lead them back to the road to town. Aikka, meanwhile, kept his arcane eye on things behind them, certain that they'd soon be pursued.

Eva managed a look back to her house, finding the poor, decimated condition it was in. Even though the trident had lodged itself essentially into her room, it seemed to have affected the rest of the place as well, seeing as how the house wasn't exactly that large to begin with. She'd spent the entire year living there, redoing her life with her father and now it was destroyed. The life she'd rebuilt through the events on Oban was in that house. Oh, the Crogs would pay for this one.

Aikka suddenly pivoted in his seat, aiming his glowing arrow now behind them, just as one of the tridents made an attempt at catching up.

"_Un sekai narama tera ubara!_" Eva heard him shout, as there was an eruption of blue light behind them. The Crog ship seemed perturbed, but not by enough to knock him out of the duel.

"Do not interfere, young prince, your time with the mighty winner of Oban is up!" Aikka heard the voice appear in his head as Kross's had during the races, dripping with sarcasm at the address of Eva. Aikka growled at the fact that this was the same ship that had plowed into Eva's room in the first place, the same Crog he'd shot at. "I've come to retrieve the little brat, and you shall not stand in my way!"

With that, lasers began to fire through the mist and haze of rain, aiming not to take out both riders, but the Nourasian on the back. Eva, catching on to the danger quickly, weaved just in time out of some fire. Weaving back and forth on the street, she somehow managed to blindly avoid the shots for the both of them. Their luck only lasted so long before one of the volleys grazed Aikka's arm, however.

Growling as he leant into Eva's back, Aikka clutched at his upper arm, cursing under his breath. He willed himself to still hang on to his bow, to remain upright in the seat. Eva was still weaving, and she turned sharply onto a side street of the city, where it'd be harder for the armed Crog trident to follow.

"Aikka, are you alright?" She cried behind her as she felt him tremble a little against her back.

"Just keep going, Molly, do not fret over me," Aikka managed, pressing onto the wound, feeling blood seeping through his fingers and mixing with the precipitation that rained down upon them.

Eva could see damage around them as they passed through the city, places where it was vividly clear that the Crogs had already hit. There was no one in the streets, at least no one living. The thought made the girl somewhat nauseas as she passed by soaked rubble and glass, so she decided to keep her eyes strictly in front of her.

Her hand twisted the accelerator to its maximum, and she could suddenly hear the sound of destruction behind them, obviously a sign that the Crog that was pursuing them was still bent on retrieving her.

Luckily, she could see the building with the words "Wei Enterprises" on it…though it seemed to have been claimed by the Crogs as well.

"No, please don't tell me they've destroyed the hangar!" She cried, trying to press the rocket seat farther. Aikka looked up with strain, squinting over her shoulder and through the storm, finding the object of Eva's stress. The high rise marking the location of the hangar seemed to have been fairly well shot out, there was even smoke emitting from it in places.

The prince then nuzzled his face into the crook of Eva's shoulder, trying to comfort the girl without the use of his hands. The thought that they may come back to a destroyed hangar was dismal and heartbreaking even to him. He wouldn't know how he'd comfort her if she were to lose everyone like this. Some wounds just could not be mended.

Their panicked thoughts of what could lay ahead were interrupted by the entrance of a Crog trident in front of them, a different one, Aikka guessed, as he made little hesitation to lift his injured arm to take aim. With more effort than normal, he steadied his bow and sent another enchanted arrow flying towards the new obstacle, straight between the three dots of yellow that served as the Crog's means of laser cannons. The trident still hovered in the air ahead of them, perturbed but not bested, so Eva decided that it would be a good time to find a different route to the race track, weaving down another decimated street.

Aikka took again to holding his arm, finding it protesting his sudden use of it, and at the same time hoping he'd not have to use it again. He fell against Eva again as he battled the burnt wound, still holding tight to his bow.

Eva's heart raced almost as fast as her as she entered the race arena, finding the place still standing, for the most part. As she sped towards the hangar at the end, she noticed a few Crog ships flying around over head, as if searching for something to destroy. Luckily they didn't seem to notice their presence.

Meanwhile Aikka was plotting their next course of action, once they would reach the garage. Already he could hear G'dar's cries from within, so that gave him a good feeling that there was still life there. But if they stayed around here, there wouldn't be for long…

Eva drove her rocket seat completely into the garage before stopping somewhere near the Phantom. Puddles of water and glass littered the floor from broken parts of the sky light, but aside from that, the hangar seemed to be in rather good condition. The other members of the party, however were nowhere in sight as the lights above them flickered, trying to decide whether or not to stay lit.

Wringing out some of her sopping hair, Eva heaved herself off of the bike. Aikka tried to regain his perfect composure as he slid off the thing and gave a shiver for his injury and the chill of his soaked clothing clinging to his body.

"Dad!?" Eva called loudly, now hugging the captive Satis to her again. G'dar found his way over, his wings having a time of deciding whether they wanted to stay out or not. "Dad, where are you??"

Aikka looked at his insect companion as he leaned on him for support. Just then, over head some tridents scourged the skies, sending some vibrations into the place. This place wasn't safe, it would only be a little time until they were found…

"Eva!" Janni's voice called from the doorway just under the floor of offices. "Over here, in the shelter room!"

"Janni!" Eva cried, thankful that the other girl was still alive. Before she could run over, though, Aikka's hand grabbed her.

"Molly, we cannot stay here, Earth is no longer safe," he told her through the pain. With a little thought and a glance to the Phantom, he concocted a plan. The craft was strong enough to withhold attacks, to an extent. It could provide his human friends with protection, while giving him time to take some action… Janni joined them just in time to hear Aikka laying out his idea. "Get everyone into the Phantom, we're getting out of here."

"What are you planning, Aikka?" Janni asked from the other side of Eva, her eyebrow cocked slightly.

"The Crogs will be in this place soon, we cannot stay here, if I don't use a portal spell to get all of us out, then we may as well consider ourselves as forfeit!" Aikka told her fiercely; every second they spent here was another second that the Crogs had available to initiate an invasion.

"Alright, so where are we gonna go?" Janni asked him quizzically.

"Just trust me, we haven't the time for bickering!" Aikka retorted. "Just get everyone into the Phantom, I will take care of the rest!"

Eva dragged Janni away before she had a chance to rebuke the prince's command, and Aikka leapt aboard G'dar. Swirling his hand over the white shell, he tried to calm the immense creature down. Eva was meanwhile running with all she had for the shelter, for the father she couldn't bear to lose again.

"Eva?" Don Wei's voice met Eva as she entered the sound structure of the shelter room, and she found her father sitting with the ice pack still on his ankle.

"Dad! What happened?" Eva cried, rushing into her father's arms.

"Nevermind that, it's just a sprain, I'll be fine…" Don said, stroking the wet tresses of his daughter's dyed hair. "I was so worried about you…I never should have sent you off like that, not with times like this…" He held her close to him, grateful that she hadn't been stolen from him after all.

More vibrations of the building told Eva it was time for them to set Aikka's plan into action. So, pulling away from her father and turning to the rest of the group, she told them all.

"Guys, we need to get into the Phantom," They looked puzzled at her, but Janni intervened quickly.

"Just do it, Aikka's got a plan to get us out of here before the Crogs bust their ways in." Grabbing her duffle bag, she led the way. "Remember the time you all piled into the Arrow when Canaletto was taking over? Well, it's like that, so get a move on." With that, Stan and Koji stood, ready to aid Don on his way out while Eva grabbed the bag of ice for future use. Turning to the door, she suddenly noticed the slouched form of Rick in the corner. She couldn't tell, but perhaps he was unconscious…perhaps he had an attack during the raid…

"Rick? Wake up, Rick," she knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shifted slightly, but then smiled at her, truly glad to see her.

"Hey, Little Mouse. Nice day, isn't it?" He grinned at her. She grinned back at his remark, but stood back up.

"Yeah, fantastic. Rick, we gotta get out of here, everyone's headed for the Phantom already," she explained to him as he tugged himself up. He still looked a bit shaky on his feet, so Eva didn't stray any farther than a few feet from him.

"So, the Phantom? Why, we bustin' outta here on it or something?" Rick asked her curiously as they came out of the room.

"In a way…Aikka's getting us out of here." Eva explained briefly, as she caught sight of Janni waiting at the door to the vehicle, with Stan and Koji's portable computers in an arm. Aikka sat on G'dar off to the side, making sure everyone was safely on board before he took action. He held his bow with a poised arrow at the ready despite whatever shaking his arm was exhibiting. Rick, even with his still somewhat hazy vision, could see that the prince had been injured.

The Crogs chose this time to begin their assault on the hangar, as lasers fired inside through the glass roof, creating a downpour of crystal shards over various parts of the garage. Where Aikka was seated was no exception, and as glass and laser fire rained down, G'dar panicked, raising his wings and slightly off-setting the prince. Aikka now took to shielding himself from the falling glass as well as keeping to his seat.

"Aikka," Eva gasped at the sight, before Rick grabbed both her shoulders and pushed her the rest of the way to the door before the Crogs would decide to give them a little shower of their own. They were both herded in by Janni, the last one in.

Leaning inward to latch the door, Janni then headed straight to the gunner's turret. Rick settled on the rounded wall of metal, feeling the stress start to build again. Near the two mechanics sat Don Wei, pressing the icepack into his ankle, pretending that it wasn't the least bit painful for him.

Over the sounds of Janni firing back at the Crogs above, Eva forced her way through the door between the chamber and the cockpit. Through the tinted glass, she saw Aikka guide his mount directly over the Phantom. The racer lurched slightly as the weight of G'dar settled down above it.

Meanwhile, Aikka ignored the shards of glass as he held his arms out again, preparing himself for the next world jump. He put his trust in Janni to cover him while he muttered his incantation, picturing his exact destination in mind. It took less time for the ring to show itself, this time an enormous one, meant to allow the entirety of G'dar and the Phantom through.

He tried not to pay too much attention to the shattering glass above him, as one of the tridents finally breeched the roof. It wouldn't matter whether they made it into the garage in a matter of seconds, so he steeled his concentration against the distraction.

"Aikka…" Eva murmured, watching the rain of glass around them, not being able to see the source, but knowing something was happening. She could only hope that Aikka was safe above her…

Eva watched all this from her cockpit, as she absently allowed Satis out of her back pack. The cat looked quite disheveled, with his fur standing on end, and glaring yellow eyes, still exhibiting the creature's feelings about having been cooped up in the sack. Eva hadn't the time to notice her disgruntled cat, for she was now watching the world she knew disappear into a wide spectrum of colors.

Janni, meanwhile, ran out of Crogs to shoot at with the sudden change of scenery, and sank back into her seat with a sigh. Pressing a button on her keypad, the turret swiveled back into its default position, aimed straight out. Well, this was certainly more exciting than sitting through school…She had a sudden thought though, and her mind wandered back to her own house. She wondered if her parents had been spared in the invasion. She desperately hoped they had been. Losing her brother had been bad enough.

G'dar gave Aikka a knowing shriek, as soon as he could tell the end was near. Aikka smiled at the sharpness of his beetle mount, and only uttered more into the spell to ensure safe passage through the end of the tunnel of a portal. On the other side, he hoped he would be greeted without threat of more attacks, though he also hoped he wouldn't be inserted into the air this time, as the Phantom didn't have wings as G'dar did that could catch itself in the air so easily…

Janni sat, staring, as the scenery again began to shift. The array of colors was fading, to be left with some outlines of architecture, but it was unlike she'd ever seen before. Stan and Koji, seeming to sense there was something up since the sounds of Crog's attacking had disappeared, came behind her turret, looking out through the blue glass at the architecture that was gradually taking more dominance in their vision.

Eva couldn't help but notice the change, and immediately found the architecture welcoming. It seemed they were materializing in a structure that almost reminded her of an old European cathedral in size, though the décor was strikingly different.

Instead of pointed arches and gothic trimming, or flashy gold and white adornments as she had many times seen in her studies, the stone above and around them was carved in such a way it looked to be a flowing, swirling form. There was amazing attention to detail on every inch of the place, even the circular windows high above seemed to be placed just right to let sunlight in at perfect angles. And in the designs of stone, at the very top of the few columns that supported the cavern, were etched beetles, if she wasn't mistaken, and winking blue stones.

Aikka took one look around, and sighed with heavy relief. At least the place was still standing. With a few words to G'dar, the Phantom was released from the weight of the beetle, and Janni grabbed her hand cannon, ready for scouting the area.

She hopped out of the Phantom's back hatch just as Aikka landed beside G'dar. The prince looked at her suspicious glances to every side and readied his own weapon.

"Princey, where'd you take us?" Janni asked the Nourasian skeptically as they met somewhere in the middle of the distance between them glancing around and listening for any enemies. Aikka simply looked at her with a quizzical face.

"I would think it'd be obvious," He was interrupted by the sound of Eva's sneakers connecting with the stone floor. The two guardians looked back to the rear of the Phantom, to find the girl having just leapt out of the hatch, to come to stare at the new world around her.

"Molly, wait, we don't know if it's safe yet!" Aikka told her hastily, leaving Janni's side to come to meet the other human girl.

"What do you mean, it might not be safe, you brought us somewhere dangerous? What was the point of that?" Janni asked loudly. Aikka turned, not bothering that his look was slightly indignant. It turned out that she really was Jordan's sister; she was just as ready as he to trust him. "Where exactly are we, anyway?" she sighed exasperatedly. Aikka opened his mouth to respond, but Eva's soft voice came first.

"We're in Nourasia," she said in awe, not taking her eyes off of the beauty above. The slight smile Aikka saw on her lips made him instantly less tense. It was obvious by that smile and the look in her eyes that she was that happy to be there. And this was only the stable where G'dar stayed.

His argument with Janni was immediately forgotten, his tense look traded for a smile.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- :** Huzzah, I get to write about Nourasia now! OMG, squee! Little change of scenery will do me good. BTW, am I the only one who noticed and/or is kinda miffed that Jetix completely skipped the last three episodes of OSR and went back to the first?? Wtf…

Next chapter!! The Earth team now find themselves on another planet…again. Will their welcome be a warm one, and will the Nourasians do a better job of protecting the threatened than their own planet did? Besides all that, what _is_ the situation of Nourasia versus the Crogs?


	13. Many Meetings

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : **.:rises once more from the grave to update:. OMFG, I'm back!!

I am so sorry about how late this is, you guys, I really am. So many distractions have kept me from updating this. Let us see, there have been familial issues concerning my brother and a behavioral class he's taken at the psychiatric ward of the hospital, Major financial issues(this is more recent) in my family, my own hunting for a job(curse you, Sonic!!) hanging out with my friends once in a while, a touch of writer's block, obsessive manga-hoarding and reading, my usual degree of laziness, my Computer's growing grudge against me… and let us not forget the obsessive guild-going on Gaia! Yesh, that's right, my Oban Star Racers guild is officially 3 weeks and 2 days old! Thanks to the Easter event on Gaia, me and Spellcaster Hikaru were able to set the thing up so much earlier than anticipated :D **I urge all you Gaians lurking about in here to go join us! We're growing quite happily! –And we have pocky…** BTW, just PM me or Hikaru-chan if you want a quick way to find us and join. Just say you saw the announcement here and we would be glad to send you an invite! I'm TehSheba on Gaia, and Hikaru-chan is SpellcasterHikaru!

So, anyhow, I am deeply sorry about how late this is, and don't believe it for one minute that I've abandoned this story, I am having way too much fun spewing out a big ball of Mokka fluffiness! Like I'll ever quit…Sorry, you guys are stuck with me! X3 Gomen Nasaii!!! .:Goes all Ritchan-san on y'all:. Omg, Fruits Basket reference in an Oban fanfiction section….

Moving on to the chapter, we got…well, a bunch of people to meet! Ok, not really a bunch, but I thank Tolkein's The Hobbit for giving me that chapter name .:bows to Tolkein-san:. As for the welcome that the humans receive from Nourasian palace-dwellers, well, let's just say it's mixed. And Aikka finally admits to himself his real feelings for Eva, as well as his realization of the hard truth concerning those feelings…

Shout-outs!

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _.:Uber-glomp of DOOM!:. Thank you, thank you, thank you Hikaru-chan for helping me with my guild!! Rawr! Lol…Now that I have this done, I should be working on writing some things up for our RP! Ooh, and you still haven't joined DestinyDestroyer's Rp have you? 0o .:drags you over to the guild:. Oh, music! Yes, I usually write to the sound of music. Lately I've been obsessed with Keane, and I actually love envisioning my story to 'Somewhere Only We Know' by them. It fits, specially the past when the trident crashes into her house and Aikka's protecting her, in fact I had the song on repeat while I was writing that chapter. Fits well with the part of the lyrics that say 'this could be the end of everything'…I've declared it as this story's unofficial theme song :D Yeah, I've always got some music going. It's good stuff for inspiration. Oh! Have you heard the new Linkin Park song? It's called What I've Done, and it's such an Aikka song. Look it up, I love it. Yay! Seppuku! Me and Aki-chan saw a shirt on J-list that says, 'In case of Emergency, commit Seppuku here' with a samurai pointing to the stomach area of the shirt(or some thing pointing there anyway, not sure if it was the samurai) But yeah, Savin does say that there is some Samurai influence to the Nourasians, so who knows? XD I'd probably have fun hijacking a trident, myself. You know, after flying it into a few walls and accidentally shooting things up, I'd probably get the hang of it XD OMG, I agree, Janni for president!!

_Shrouded View: _Lol, a Canaan/Don showdown would be interesting…This chapter shows a little of the Nourasian reaction. It will vary, however between people. But that will come later :)

_RedMageSalyre: _I love Nourasia, it's so awesome, the way I see it in my head X3 I'm greatly influenced by Tolkein's elves, too. Nourasia sort of allowed me to use it and throw in a bit of my own taste to Nourasia. And as for Rick, yeah, I really hate what happened to him(curse you, Canaletto! .:shakes fist:.) but it'd definitely still be around and in that situation, I'm guessing it would pop up again :( So, anyway, thanks for the review, and sorry to have kept you and the others waiting for so long!

_Sekai Nerah: _Hmm, I still wonder why they even skipped…I wanted to watch those ones on the TV, Youtube doesn't have the greatest quality…Ah well. Thanks, and here's my update, sorry for the lateness!

_Crazyvegimab:_ Hey Mabs! .:huggles:. I'm really looking forward to writing Nourasia, too. X3 Hope you like!

_APurpleAvacado:_ Ack, I'm so sorry, I've probably kept you waiting even longer this time around! Gomen Nasaii! I hope this one's worth the wait, I'll be better with the next one!

_Whitehitsugaya: _Hey there, you changed your name on me! Oh, what happened to 'Feelings'? I was looking for it the other day, but I couldn't find it…O.o Nyow…anyhow, thanks for the review, and sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy:D

_Isabella of the Night: _ Read to find out, hope you like!

_Frubaforever: _Nyah, the Crogs won't be bothering them…quite yet….:shifty eyes:. Enjoy the update:D

_IchikoKitsuneKoumori: _I hope I do a good job! Please enjoy! .:bows:.

_Wild Child 15: _ Lol, don't worry about it, I'm not mad or anything. In fact I agree with you that I should have updated sooner! Gomen again! Ooh, Aikka/Molly story! .:sparkly eyes:. I'll be waiting for it, hope to read it soon! X3

_xYuna: _lol, doin' my best! Hope you enjoy the update!

Crystal Persian, Fushica, dolphingurl08, thechickenlittle: Thank you all! Hope you love it:3

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**-Chapter 13-**

**Many Meetings**

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"_We will meet again soon, I promise. You must see my kingdom." _

When Aikka had told her that, back on Oban for what would be the last time in nearly a year that they'd see each other, she truly believed he meant it. She entirely trusted that the prince would keep that promise and she'd someday be able to meet the planet known as Nourasia, a planet told of beauty, as per her sources on Earth. She knew in her heart that he'd bring her there.

But still, it seemed, surreal, really, that she was actually standing there in this moment, like it was too good to be true. She'd just escaped hellish circumstances of her home world, an attack bent on retrieving her for further purposes she cared not to contemplate, and now she was suddenly in a place she'd been dreaming of seeing for the past year. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum.

The bronze color of the stone gleamed at her, along with the shine of the blue stones, both inherent icons of Nourasian culture, as she could only begin to imagine. Aside from these two dominant features, the etched beetle designs on the ceiling and the winding, swirling fashion of the sculpted stone did nothing less than confirm that this was where Aikka came from.

"Molly?" Aikka's smooth voice called her out of her trance, and she looked at him with appreciative crimson eyes. "Are you alright, Molly?" She found the prince looking at her, concerned.

She smiled at him, finding his blue eyes drained from the excitement, the injury that still cursed his arm, but still filled with concern for none other than her. The thought made her blush lightly, but she nodded.

"I'm great, I'm just…" she trailed off quietly, just as Stan and Koji peeked out in awe from the back hatch of the Phantom before venturing out. "I'm just happy to be here, I've waited for this day for a while now,"

With that, Aikka couldn't stop the smile that graced his face, nor the slight darkening of color that overtook his tan cheeks. This little expression was short lived, however, as a loud thrum of a vibration overtook the stable, and Aikka looked towards the track-side double doors just yards away from them. Janni, meanwhile, took the sound as some sort of threat, and hoisted her hand cannon into firing position.

"Great, take us to where the war began, brilliant!" Janni growled as her gun started charging to her command. "There's probably more Crogs here than at home!"

Aikka quickly came up beside her, setting a hand on the cool metal of the weapon and pressing it slightly downward.

"Janni, hold your fire, that was no Crog you just heard," he then grinned towards the doors just as a shadow descended from outside the open doorway and into the place.

Eva watched, awestruck, as she felt the forms of Koji and Stan coming up on either side of her, protectively. In, through the doors, flew a gigantic beetle, almost identical in size to G'dar, but with a more of a greenish-blue color to grace the shells that covered its wings, whereas G'dar had the brilliant cerulean blue. On this new insect's back, sat a Nourasian, who simultaneously noticed G'dar's presence in the stable as the royal bug came up to greet the green-blue beetle in friendly beetle chatter.

"G'dar, I thought you were missing," the Nourasian said to the beetle, thunderstruck at its appearance.

It didn't take him long after that to notice the glaring presence of the Phantom, something that he'd never seen before. In turn, he then noticed the aliens, and the crown prince at the head of them. Then, he further noticed, one of the aliens had a weapon, and it was definitely loaded. Leaping off of his mount, the new Nourasian shouted to the gathering while poising an arrow directly at them.

"Stand away from the prince, or I shall shoot," Koji and Stan backed away slightly, bringing Eva with them with grasps on either of her shoulders. Meanwhile Janni could have sworn she heard the prince next to her laugh slightly.

"Takai, lower your weapon," Aikka said plainly, not moving to or from the other Nourasian. The one called Takai looked a little stunned at Aikka's smiling words, but obeyed nonetheless. "It is alright for you to come nearer, my friends will not bite," Aikka said, before giving a sideways glance to Janni, who was keeping her eyes on Takai. Well, most of them wouldn't bite. Takai gave apprehensive glances to the humans near Aikka, but approached anyway, before sinking to a bow before his prince.

Up close, it was clear that this Nourasian looked not too much older than Aikka's age, whatever that was, but he looked quite different than the prince. Though he was currently wearing something similar to Aikka's racing outfit from the great race, he was a bit more of a brown tint to his tan. His eyes, to match his long and pony-tailed hair, were a light shade of brown. He was even a bit taller than the Prince, once he stood again after his bow.

"My prince?" Takai asked uncertainly, not really knowing where to question him first. "My father told me of your escape, but I wouldn't think you'd have brought the target here," Aikka shut his eyes and nodded darkly.

"Drastic times require drastic measures," he said plainly. "I would have hoped that my friends' visit would have come under lighter circumstances, however things do not always work to plan."

"The Crogs have expanded their attack, have they?" Takai asked with a grimace, seeming to read between the lines of Aikka's statement. Aikka nodded.

"It is no longer safe for my friends, especially Eva, to remain on Earth, so I did what I had to." Aikka began to walk closer to Eva. "They need shelter now that their own has been destroyed."

Takai looked reluctant, but nodded. He knew as much as the next Nourasian that the history of Earth was not a spotless one. Their ventures in colonization throughout the galaxy had bought them this profile, along with some hefty enemies. For Takai also knew that the reason the Crog Imperium had attacked Earth in the first place was in retaliation of the humans' landing on their planet without warning, with ideas of colonies in their heads. They'd bought their relationship with the Crogs, and it gave a warning to the Nourasian council for years to come to stay away from that entire mess, for fear of worsening their own. They had enough troubles without putting hope into a species that they weren't sure could fulfill those hopes.

How the prince himself had gotten so entangled in their world was practically a mystery to him, his father never spoke much about it. All he knew was that this girl, named Eva, was the pilot for Earth during the Great Race, and that she had somehow gotten through to the prince. How far she'd gotten, though, he didn't prefer to think about. The fact that she was a target of the Crogs did not go unobserved either.

Janni had been watching this new Nourasian for a time, and even she sensed that he wasn't exactly excited for their presence. Though, he seemed ready enough to serve the prince to not make a scene about it, so she let it go, turning back to her group, shifting her cannon to a resting position under an arm.

Stan and Koji had meanwhile left to retrieve Don Wei upon news from Aikka that they were going to be on the move back to the palace, and Eva took to looking back at Takai, who simply frowned slightly as he caught her gaze, before turning to supposedly busy himself with settling his mount in. She got the distinct feeling, as well as Janni, that he wasn't as thrilled to have a guest as she was to be one.

It led her to wonder how her welcome from the rest of the kingdom, more so from the king and queen themselves, would be. Surely the batch of humans would have to meet the approval of Aikka's parents to remain in the kingdom, let alone the palace…She suddenly became very nervous.

"Molly, put this on," Aikka called her once more out of her thoughts, and he found him holding out a neat, bronze-brown bundle of fabric to her. At her puzzled look, he explained. "It's a racing cloak. I'd think it would be better if your true identities were concealed, for the time being at least. Until we get to my parents, you and the others should blend in, for your own protection,"

Eva looked speechless at him, and a glance to the others told her that they were already finding their ways into their own. She'd obviously been dazing off again. With a nod and a quiet word of thanks, Eva took the bundle from him, and unfurled it, finding it familiar, then recalling it as almost the same as the cloak Aikka had worn when he'd 'kidnapped' her during the race. The hood had a strip of designed material trailing over the center, and at the crest of the hood, she noticed the Nourasian insignia, just like the design of Aikka's head piece.

The cloak was complete with the red inside, including the wrap-around that concealed the bottom of her face, once she was properly concealed in it, with Aikka's help. Hooding herself as did the others, she certainly felt safely locked away in the material. She took a step forward, though, and it quickly became obvious that this cloak was at least a few sizes larger than her. Managing to catch herself from tripping over the hem, she gathered some of the material into her hands and held it to her chest to provide her feet with proper mobility.

She was relieved to notice that Rick had joined them since they'd all gathered, and he seemed to be doing better, though she could see on his face that he was drained. He obviously needed some sleep to recuperate, and her father still needed some medical assistance for his ankle. Hopefully the Nourasian hospitality Aikka spoke about once in the rain would hold true for them.

Aikka was currently off to the side, discussing matters of Crog occupation with Takai, to prepare them for what may wait for them on their way to the palace by way of the bridge hallway. Aikka visibly sighed in relief as Eva watched on; it seemed the Crogs had kept back, even since his talk with Canaan a few nights before. The shield over the city was doing its job, and repairs were still being tended to through out the city and in the palace.

After shutting the hatch to the Phantom, and Janni stowing her weaponry into her duffle bag that now hung at her hip, the troupe prepared to make the journey to the palace. Aikka took the lead, followed by Eva and a very alert Janni. After the girls came the two mechanics and the injured racing manager, then came Rick. Lastly, Takai patrolled the back of the train of cloaked figures.

Through the large double doors, they proceeded out into the bridge hall, the same that Aikka recalled as having collapsed behind him during his escape. To their luck, however, that mess had been cleared out, though it left an open sky above them instead of ceiling.

Eva couldn't help but switch between glances at the ground to ensure her footing on the broken floor and glances to the Nourasian sky. The color was actually a hazy looking shade of red, contrasting to Earth's sky, and she could see a large orb that looked the shade of light bronze, standing out from the color of the sky and almost a played down version of the bronze that graced the stable they'd just come from. It was the Nourasian moon, and she smiled at it, thinking that it was even larger than her own silver moon.

The end of the hall brought Aikka to be more cautious; this was where he'd met Toros, and the rubble from that battle still littered the place. His sapphire eyes narrowed as he found no form of a Crog, living or dead, in that area; meaning Toros had escaped, or he'd been removed.

'_Takai, did anyone find any Crogs at all in this exact area?' _Aikka sent directly to Takai using telepathy. Takai's own brown eyes flashed towards the rubble Aikka had somehow indicated, over where the stairs once were.

'_No, I think I can honestly say not,' _ was his nervous reply. Aikka grimaced under the shadow of his own cloak, wondering what had become of the former Crog Colonel.

The humans simply followed Aikka, all the way through unknown, but beautiful hallways, unaware of the conversation that had just taken place between the two Nourasians. After a time that made the humans think the journey was never going to end, when Stan and Koji (Koji more so) were finally reaching their limits of strength for helping Don along, Aikka motioned for them to stop outside a rather lavish looking curtain, spreading in deep crimson from the high ceiling to the stone floor. It certainly looked quite regal, with threads of shining bronze embroidered in swirling designs throughout the material's lower portion, and Eva knew beyond a doubt, there was probably Aikka's royal family on the other side of it.

They saw on either side of this veil, more Nourasian knights, who happened to be simultaneously looking the hooded figures over, sensing easily that they were strangers. However, the fact that the prince was there escorting them seemed to keep the human group safe from questioning.

"My prince," one of the knights said, as he and the others sank to courtly bows. "May we be of any assistance to you and your…guests?" the Nourasian cast another nervous look to the cloaked humans, wondering if he chose the right word. Aikka merely smiled and returned a bow.

"Actually you may, I wonder, are the King and Queen available?" He asked them politely, with every air of a prince and heir. The Nourasian gave a decisive nod.

"I will announce you," the knight bowed again, and then turned his gaze for another time at the prince's guests, this time Eva in particular. "And what of these newcomers, my prince?"

"They will come with me, they are refugees of their own planet, and they are in my escort." Aikka told the man. "I believe an introduction is in order,"

The Nourasian knight bowed again. "Yes, very well. I will announce you at once," with that he turned to the draping curtain, and Aikka looked to the massive entrance with a slight feeling of nervousness. His parents would accept them, right? They simply couldn't turn them away, they had nowhere else to go! Not even his strict father would be so harsh as to reject them in such dire straits…

Takai, meanwhile, decided that he really didn't care about the humans' presentation. Surely the King would see that having them here, having that human girl there, would endanger them all the more. So, he wondered off, deciding that he should alert his father as to the prince's return.

"Their majesties are ready for you, Prince Aikka," the same knight returned, bowing once more. "You and your charges may enter."

Bowing back to his fellow knight, Aikka looked back towards the group of humans, and silently drew in a large breath. Motioning them to follow, Aikka proceeded through the curtain, which was being held aside gracefully by the other knights.

Eva stared around nervously, feeling her heart racing. Aikka's parents, the king and queen of an entire planet, and she was about to meet them. Their surroundings were now dimmer, torches lined the walk to the location where the thrones were, and blue stones glittered from the light shadows, catching somehow the light that just barely reached them. The columns in here actually seemed to curl in such a fashion as to give the feeling that they were walking down a magnificently beautiful tunnel. She couldn't even begin to describe the awe she felt just from looking at it all.

Aikka finally held out a hand to pause the humans where they stood, and strode a little more forward. Eva saw in front of them, another crimson curtain, draping to frame the bronze and blue stone decorated thrones. Hanging bronze colored lanterns provided more light to the throne, casting swirling shadows from the design of the things along the walls and curtains. Standing, rather than sitting, there were two regal looking Nourasians on the elevated floor of the throne. Aikka sank to a knee before his parents, bowing his head as well.

"Mother, Father, I am sorry to have worried you, and left without warning," he told them humbly.

"You are forgiven, my son, we are relieved to see that your fate has not rested with the Crogs as we had feared," His mother said kindly, coming down the steps to greet her son who was just getting to his feet. "By the spirits, you look dreadful, all scratched up…" She said, doting over the prince's face, which was indeed a little scratched and bruised from the attack that was on Eva's house. "And what's this, you are injured!" the queen suddenly noticed a slight tinge of blood on the bronze-brown fabric of his cloak.

Aikka looked at the stain himself, and suddenly recalled the wound. The king joined the reunion stoically, giving a gaze to the humans, the small form of Eva being of particular interest to him.

"Nori, my queen, we are not alone in this reunion," The king said in a deep voice, indicating the collection of aliens behind their son before the woman had more of a chance to dote over her son in the presence of strangers. Nori looked curiously, and found indeed that they had company.

"Mother, Father, these are my friends, if I may be permitted to introduce them?" Aikka suggested, looking back to Eva, showing her a message in his eyes as if to tell her to not be afraid. Lao gave another look to them, and nodded.

"If I may request that they reveal themselves from under their guises, then yes, you may." Aikka nodded first to his father, then to the others, who quickly obeyed in unhooding themselves. The only one really having trouble was Don Wei, standing on his good foot and using one hand to support himself on Stan's shoulder, the other guiding his hood over his streaked hair. Eva watched over her father worriedly, but shook herself out of her own cloak.

"These are sirs Rick Thunderbolt, Stan, Koji, Don Wei," Aikka indicated each as he said their name, and each bowed, somewhat awkwardly, not knowing what else to do, but wanting to be respectful. "And this is lady Janni Wilde, the sister of the avatar, and lady Eva Wei, daughter of Don Wei and the winner of Oban." He finished with a smile. Nori immediately lit up.

"So this is the young lady that defeated the Crog general in the final race and Canaletto in the Temple of the Heart?" Nori's smiling features looked over Eva softly. "Aikka has only ever said endearing things about you, it is an honor to finally meet you, lady Eva," Eva couldn't hide her surprise as the queen then bowed smoothly, in a similar, but more feminine manner than she'd seen Aikka do when she first met him. It was a light bow, but still; the _queen_ was bowing to _her_.

"Th-thank you, it's an honor to be here," The young human managed to squeeze out a response as she gave her own bow, that was only stiff out of her nerves at the moment. Aikka smiled softly at the exchange; now all that remained to be seen was how his father would approve of Eva.

'_You would do well to not become too attached to this girl, Aikka,' _His father's voice came a bit harshly in Aikka's mind, seeming to know his very thoughts. Looking to the king, he found hard eyes gazing sideways at him. _'You know who you are, and you know your responsibilities as such, my son.' _

Aikka grimaced and looked back to the girl he knew as his one true friend, the girl he was coming to find was tugging at all his emotions. How she felt all this time he'd spent with her over the last few days, seemed to reflect onto him; when she had felt the joy from riding the winds with him on G'dar, he felt just as elated just to see that side of her. When she'd been frightened for the fates of her friends, he'd wanted nothing more than to hold her protectively from the world, to not allow it to hurt her any more than it already had. And then, just hours ago, it became clear that he was not the only one slipping into the feeling of something more between them. That alone made him feel more elated than ever…

No.

No, he could not continue to think that way, and he knew it. His father was right, as much as he hated it; there were responsibilities that he had. Responsibilities that would eventually catch up with him. And if he was anymore involved in slipping into these new feelings, it would make it that much harder to pull himself away.

"Father, I apologize for not receiving your blessing in bringing them here, but I ask that they may be permitted to stay," Aikka brought up, fighting the knot in his chest and only wanting to return to the matter at hand, rather than dwell on dark thoughts. "Their planet is no longer safe, and they have nowhere else to go." Lao nodded thoughtfully.

"So the Crogs have indeed expanded their attack," he assessed grimly. After a short while of silent thought, in which Nori looked imploringly at her mate, the king spoke again.

"Though I understand the gravity of their situation, I cannot let the fact that this girl is a target of the Crogs go unnoticed," The king's deep voice filled the chamber, almost with a sense of finality which the Prince stiffened at, holding a breath. "So, it of great importance that my standards are followed whilst they are here. I'm placing responsibility of this group into your hands, Aikka."

Eva looked up again, finding the king built to his full height, looking every bit the part of a powerful ruler. His eyes were hard, his face stern. But he still carried a sort of welcoming attribute, as though she could tell from looking at him that he truly did care.

"They are to be rooming in the guest wing, and they are not to leave that wing unless given a proper escort. They are not allowed outside the palace walls, but these circumstances may be changed given the situation with the Crogs and their occupation of our city, but only upon my word." His eyes then fell on the injured human, Don Wei. "The injured one may be taken to the healing rooms, for the night, if he so wishes to remain there that long." Don blinked a few times, but said nothing of the address he'd been given.

"I understand, Father. Thank you." Aikka said smoothly, bowing deeply to his king and father. "I will escort them there immediately, by your leave."

The king nodded. "Very well, you are dismissed, my son."

Rising out of his bow, Aikka then turned a smile to his companions, and motioned for them to follow him. They all tilted their heads towards the royal Nourasians respectfully, however, Eva gazed upon them a little longer than the rest, and gave them an actual bow before turning and heading after the others, insisting on taking Koji's place in assisting her father the rest of the way.

Watching as their son led the humans back out of the chamber, the king and queen both bore quite different expressions. Nori wore a little smile on her tan face, while the king wore one of vague apprehension. The queen then looked to her mate, and gave a little grin.

"What troubles you about this group, my love?" She asked quietly, as soon as the crimson curtain overtook their sight of the humans and their son. "If I recall correctly, those other males are the ones that helped Aikka when he was unconscious during the race, and apparently again after the attack, we owe them shelter at the least for their deeds,"

The King shut his eyes and let out a sigh. "I am simply worried of what Aikka thinks of this young human girl…It appears to me that he is digging himself in a dangerous hole for a young prince to be in."

"You are afraid of his feelings for this girl," Nori suggested, taking the king's hand into her gentle ones. The king simply looked at his queen, before turning off to find the inner chambers of the room.

"Aikka must remember his duty to his kingdom," Lao said lowly. "And I'm afraid this girl is making him forget. Indeed there is reason to be cautious of his feelings towards her." He said this with a bit of a grimace on his face, and though Nori couldn't see it, she could sense it in his voice. To the king, the thought that his son was becoming involved with a girl from another planet, a human, no less, wasn't exactly a welcoming one.

Nori simply smiled sadly as Lao disappeared behind a crimson curtain to the inner walls of the throne room. She couldn't deny that there were duties the prince owed to the kingdom, but she also was in tune to what her son really wanted; companionship. And perhaps it was only maternal instinct that made her glad that he'd found it, even be it in the company of a human girl.

"Hmm, but Aikka, as well as every other being, also owes a certain duty to his heart, my king…" Nori replied to the empty throne room. "Surely you'd understand this, if only a little…"

Smiling warmly at the image of the Earth girl Eva, the queen of Nourasia then turned to exit the room the same way her mate had. It wasn't hard to recognize her son's true feeling for the girl; she'd once been through the same, unpredictable ride of emotions herself, which had essentially led to her holding the highest crown of Nourasian royalty. Luck only had it that in Aikka's case, it had transcended the barriers of race.

"Or could it be fate?" Nori narrated to herself in the silence between her and her royal chambers. "I'm looking forward to seeing more of this Earth girl." She then concluded with a chuckle as she smiled serenely at her stone surroundings. Blue stones winked back at her in the lantern light, and she readily accepted this as agreement from the gems.

--

The hospital wing of the palace, or rather, the healing rooms, as it were, seemed nearly a stark difference from the ones Eva and the others knew from Earth.

Whereas the ones from their own planet were usually white and sterile, for lack of a better word, the Nourasian version seemed contrastingly more welcoming. Eva felt warmth in more ways than one when she walked in. For one, there was a cozy looking fireplace on one wall opposite the beds. Torches and lanterns provided the same dancing patterns of light on the walls as she'd seen in the throne room, and daylight poured in from tall and narrow windows.

For another, there were Nourasian nurses, or healers, rather, walking about with trays of either food or herbs and balms, depending on what their respective patients were in need of at the present time. The patients, it seemed, had a much better quality of life here than did the patients of Earth hospitals. They didn't seem to even be injured, from some that Eva spotted. Then again, given the healing methods that she'd already seen a small bit of, this wasn't exactly surprising to her.

Once Prince Aikka had explained the situation of the humans, the healers were more than ready to assist the injured Don Wei, and agreed immediately that he could remain in the healing rooms for the rest of the day and overnight.

"What exactly will this do…?" Don asked cautiously, eyeing the substance in a goblet that he'd been handed by a healer. Luckily he'd waited until the only Nourasian in hearing distance was the Prince to say this. All of them had been gathered near the bed Don had claimed in the corner of the room, while the man sat on the thing, his injured foot set on a generously stuffed pillow.

"It is used to help stimulate the healing process within the body. I imagine that your injury will be completely healed by morning," Don still eyed the liquid, not liking the green shade it took in the cup. He'd learned well about the strange properties alien drinks sometimes took when he was on Alwas. How Rick had downed all of those drinks with those odd little creatures in them back in the Alwas pub was a mystery to him to this day.

Stan and Koji looked with amused looks at each other as the racing manager downed the drink in one swig, a distorted look on his face. Wiping his mouth with a sleeve, he assessed the taste of the stuff. It wasn't bad, but he'd tasted better remedies. Even Eva had a laugh at her father's reaction. Aikka smiled as he took to his feet.

"I believe the guest rooms will be ready for you all soon, we should start heading there," He told the group, who in turn nodded. Eva looked to the prince as the others got to their feet, had they been already sitting down.

"Aikka, I'm gonna stay with my dad for a little while longer, if that's ok," the Earthen said as blue eyes turned to her. "You guys can go ahead. You probably need rest," She looked specifically to Janni and Rick, who looked the most worn out of the group. Despite herself, Janni let out a gaping yawn as a response.

"You sure, Eva? You're probably pretty tired yourself," The gunner said, scratching a spot on the back of her head absently. Eva nodded certainly.

"I'll catch up, if Aikka doesn't mind coming back for me," she gave a questioning look to the prince, who immediately smiled.

"Very well, I'll arrange something with Canaan if I cannot make it," He told her serenely, with a nod to signify a bow. Turning to look at the girl's father, he gave a hospitable smile. "Rest well, then, Mr. Wei,"

With that, the group separated, leaving the Weis where they sat, Eva in her own chair that she'd pulled from the side. As the last view of the other disappeared out the wide doorway, Eva turned back to her father.

"So how's that stuff working for ya, dad?" She asked with a grin. Her father gave an amused laugh, and then assessed the question himself.

"Well, it feels like my foot's gone to sleep, but I suppose that's a good thing…" He said, peering at said foot as it lay on the pillow at the end of the bed. "The pain's gone at least. Alien medicine is still a mystery to me."

Eva laughed at this, while her father smiled at the sound.

"I'm just glad you're alright, Eva. I can't tell you how worried I was once Rick showed us all the attack on the news," Eva shrugged, but smiled as she took the emptied goblet from her father.

"Well, I was pretty worried about you myself. I thought the hangar'd been shot out when I saw the offices in the condition they were." She said, setting the cup on the bedside table. "And I guess it's lucky I even made it there. If Aikka wasn't with me, I don't know what would have happened…" Don responded with a deep yawn.

"I'll have to thank the boy," He said groggily, leaning his head back into the generous amount of pillows behind him. If he had to guess, the things were filled with whatever the Nourasian equivalent of down was. "He's done more to protect you in these last few days alone than I have during your whole…life…" He finished over another deep yawn, his voice fading with every word.

"Don't say that, dad…" Eva mumbled with a slight blush and a downward look at her father's remorse. After a few seconds of silence from her father, she glanced back up from her hands. "Dad?"

Finding him silent as he lay into the pillows, Eva first thought maybe something was wrong, him having fallen asleep so quickly. It certainly looked like the deepest sleep she'd ever seen.

"Dad, are you ok?" She asked quietly, leaning slightly out of her seat. Seeing his chest rise and fall at a relaxed pace, though, made her smile and sit back down. Just then, a healer came up beside her, a bundle of thick-looking white linen in her hands.

"Do not worry, drowsiness is a common side-effect of the medicine he was given, even to those used to consuming it. He should wake by tomorrow's star-rise at the least." With a bow, she then held out the bundle. "I'll leave this with you, so he does not wake in chill during the night."

"Oh, ah, thanks," Eva said, hastily taking the bundle and adding a bow of her own.

With a smile, the healer then disappeared behind some curtains to tend to some other patients. Eva looked back to her sleeping father with a fond smile. Standing up, she spread out the generous provision of the blanket, finding it quite lightweight, but thick enough to indeed protect her father from the chill. Feeling the material between her fingertips, it even felt so much more welcoming than the linen she knew of from the hospital wing of the race track back home that she'd just slept in days ago.

The blanket in front of her sank slightly at the thought of her home world; the track where she'd raced for the past year, possibly destroyed, her father's hangar shot out and badly damaged, her house, practically in ruins…

The blanket corners she had a hold of suddenly gathered into tightly formed fists, as the scene from that attack flashed into her mind. She felt her eyes scrunch shut, but she could still see it, clear as day. She could still hear the trident ripping through her bedroom walls.

A lone tear pearled down her starry cheek as the blanket pooled on the floor from her lowering her arms. She was right, if Aikka hadn't been there, she doubted she'd have had the courage to run away. She had always considered herself a brave girl, but even then, there were things she was terrified of, and at the time, one of them had been tearing towards and into her house. Hearing Aikka shout for her back then was probably the one thing that saved her from being frozen in place.

"Sorry, daddy," She then said with a sad smile, spreading the linen out again and tossing it to glide over her father's bed. "Looks like we'll have to start over again…" Making sure that all the corners had made it to their proper locations around the bed and that her father was reasonably covered, Eva leaned in to give her father a kiss on the forehead.

"Sleep tight," she said quietly, before turning and looking around at the rest of the room. It seemed pretty empty, even though she knew some curtains surrounding the beds hid away sleeping patients, and even the crimson curtain on the wall that led to some area for the healers, as she'd seen when the woman who gave her the blanket wandered off behind it.

Sighing, she mused to herself about how quiet it was. Even for a place that had just been attacked, with casualties, a few days previous. Looking out the hallway door, the one she and the others had come in through earlier, she noticed some sort of adornment on the wall opposite that door.

With a last glance around the room, she made her quiet way towards the thing. Out the double doors with a glance to either empty hallway on the sides, she wondered across the wide corridor.

'Wouldn't hurt to look around a little,' she thought to herself with a look back towards the healing rooms.

Turning back to the wall of interest, she found what had caught her eye; a decorative bow, about identical in size to Aikka's, but a little different in design. Hanging a bit higher than her own height on the wall, the symbol of Nourasian royalty, the swirling pattern she knew of from Aikka and the king and queen's headpieces was carved proudly above it into the stone of the wall.

Moving a little downward from this, in a sort of trance by the carefully designed and adorned walls, Eva came to a stop in front of a particular carving, placed in a rounded alcove of a hall, which spread all around the curvature of the place. She made her way over to it, and found it seemed to tell a story with its expanse.

Among swirling decorations, she identified something that seemed to be a planet with two moons, then two Nourasian women, by the looks of their long and pointed ears. Each seemed to have signs of magic in their hands as they surrounded a large orb. Then there were other Nourasians, but only a few, and each had the swirling marks on their foreheads which signified royalty. And beetles, not unlike G'dar. The royalty and the beetles stood upon another large orb, with two smaller orbs floating above.

"It must be some sort of fable, or something…" Eva told herself quietly, stepping back a bit to take the carving in as a whole. The sound of footsteps coming behind her, though, finally seemed to bring her back to the real world. And she suddenly realized she had been wondering off without an escort.

"A-Aikka?" She asked hopefully, turning in a whirl. Instead of the prince, however, she was surprised to find herself in the presence of a different knight. "Oh, ah, Takai, was it…?"

For only a brief moment, he stared at her, expressionless. Eva suddenly felt nervous under his stern gaze, and looked around at the blue stones on the walls. There was definitely something familiar about the hard look she was receiving…

"Ah…Do you know if...Prince Aikka is around?" She suggested quietly to the Nourasian. Instead of answering her, he came one step closer, just enough to make her have to look a bit upward to look at him.

"You don't belong here." His voice finally came, and it sounded cold to Eva. She then glanced nervously to the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, I guess I have wondered a bit far from the healing room…" She said awkwardly. Takai narrowed his brown eyes and retorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"That is not what I meant. Having you here, in the palace, is a danger to the king and queen, and to the people of this planet." Eva suddenly looked up at him with wide crimson eyes. His brown ones were still as hard as ever as he glared down at her.

"I-I'm sorry??" Eva stammered, hoping she hadn't heard correctly. Takai opened his mouth to respond with another terse argument, when another presence joined them in the alcove.

"Takai," A deep voice claimed resonance in the corridor, as well as causing Takai to turn in place. Eva nearly let out a gasp to see who had just saved her from this interrogation.

"Takai, my son, you know better than to speak to guests of the palace in such a manner." Canaan, the Prince's own fencing master, came up next to the younger Nourasian. The elder gave the knight a stern look and Eva suddenly understood why Takai had seemed so familiar to her. "This girl is under the Prince's protection, and you shall treat her and her kin with respect as such. Is this understood?"

The look on his son's face truly bordered utter surprise as Canaan spoke. With a quick glance towards the Earthling, Takai nodded stiffly, but sank to a deep bow.

"I am sorry, father." He then looked at Eva and nodded. "And my apologies to you, Lady Eva. It will not happen again." With that, he turned and headed back from whence he came, leaving Eva alone with Canaan.

"I apologize again on Takai's behalf, youngling." Canaan said with a light bow. Stern grey eyes then found her again and he stepped away and towards the hallway leading out of the fable alcove. "Come, Prince Aikka has sent me to retrieve you and bring you to your room. He will be waiting."

Eva quickly nodded and hurried after the man, only glancing up enough to ensure that she was following him. The whole walk was quiet as Canaan coursed the hallways of the palace (which seemed more to Eva like a maze the further they went,) but it wasn't the sort of comfortable silence as she so often shared with the prince. In those silences, nothing needed to be said. In fact, the only similarity to that version that this silence shared _was_ that nothing needed to be said; in this case, she knew that Canaan didn't really prefer the company she provided, her first meeting with the elder had made _that_ part clear.

After what seemed like an eternity, if only the silence made it seem that way, Canaan's form finally stopped in front of her. She paused behind him as he came to a bow in the newest alcove that they'd come to. It seemed like a rounded area, though much bigger than the one she'd found the fable-carving in, with several doors along the curving wall.

Rather than the curtains she'd seen dominating the doorways in previous areas of the palace, these sported large wooden doors. There was even a pair of double doors set in the head of the alcove, and those were presently opened to let in some scarlet light. Just outside Eva could glimpse a fraction of Nourasian scenery beyond a stone balcony. Her eyes widened at the thought that she was so close to being able to sightsee. Was this the guest wing that she and the others had heard about?

"Prince Aikka, I now leave her in your charge," Canaan was saying as Eva brought herself from her trance out the doors. Finally spotting what was in front of her, she found Aikka leaning against the frame of one of the six bedroom doorways, the one located on the right side of the hall, and one the end. Though it seemed again that she'd found him with out a shirt, as he massaged a hand over his injured arm, no doubt rubbing the balm into it.

Aikka looked towards his master and his human friend, and smiled, despite whatever disapproving look Canaan was dealing him for his 'indecent' exposure before a guest. To say nothing of the odd glances he was given for the pair of jeans he was left in.

"Thank you, Canaan, I'll take over from here," Aikka nodded with a slight bow. Canaan gave another odd look.

"Shall I not be showing you to your new chambers?" the fencing master enquired with the raise of an eyebrow. Aikka blinked, but then smiled again.

"No, that will not be necessary, I have already claimed this as my new residence, for the time being." Aikka turned slightly and held out a hand to indicate the room just beyond the doorway he occupied. Eva leaned slightly as to see inside, curious and a bit confused. "But thank you nonetheless,"

Canaan looked hesitant, and rather surprised, actually, but nodded anyway. Bowing out, he gave his regards to the prince and Eva, and disappeared to leave the two teenagers alone.

"You're staying in the guest wing? What about your old room?" Eva asked curiously, striding up to level with Aikka, who had returned to nursing his injury. He looked up from his arm at her question and gave a slight laugh through a grimacing face.

"My old chambers happened to be where I was when the Crogs attacked. Kross saw to it that it was turned into a pile of rubble when he came after me." He said, causing Eva to blush slightly at her asking the question in the first place.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" She said awkwardly, at which the prince waved it away, settling his balm back into the medicine pouch on his belt.

"Don't be, it is not your fault in the least," Aikka told her. She then looked around him and into his new room.

"So then why here?" She asked, confusedly.

"Well, first of all, I am still your guardian, so I thought it would be favorable to, ah, as you put it…'Stay in the area?'" He leaned a smile towards her as he used her own term from a few days previous. Eva nodded with a blush grinning at how the prince was bringing back her own words to use in the new reversal of roles.

Aikka chuckled at this as he motioned her to follow her in whilst turning into the room himself. Once inside, she looked around, finding the place as beautifully and similarly decorated as the rest of the palace, with a four-post bed made from some dark shaded wood, with bronze-brown and white linen. Off to the side, a curtained door led to what Eva could only guess(and hope) was a bathroom. But what really caught her eye was the expanse of windows on the opposite wall. The whole window even seemed to be a bay expansion, as well, with crimson pillows lining the thing and providing a great potential for sitting and gazing over the city.

If this was the guest room, then she could only wonder how lavish the royal rooms were.

"It is also nice to get a change in scenery once in a while," Aikka said as Eva made a beeline for the window seat with a grin on her face. Leaning over the seat itself to get a glimpse at Nourasia, Eva took everything in. The city itself looked gorgeous, from what little she could see around the haze of trees and their lavender foliage that seemed to surround the palace. Even now she could see the Nourasian star, burning a fiery red, sharing the sky with the moon she'd seen earlier. Aikka watched her shift every which way to get enough of a view amusedly as he picked his discarded shirt off of his new bed.

"It's so beautiful," Eva gasped, even knowing she'd not even seen the half of it. Aikka smiled broadly as he sat next to her. "So this is all gonna be yours one day? Heck, I wouldn't mind that at all…"

"I was hoping you'd like it. Hopefully I will be allowed to show you more soon," Aikka told her, leaning against the windowsill. Eva settled down onto the bench herself and rested her chin on the arm that had folded along the windowsill as well. "How is your father doing?" Aikka then decided to ask, once he pulled himself back into his white human-made shirt.

"He's fine, he fell asleep not too long after you guys left…" Eva said softly, her eyes that were fixed on the outside world of lavender trees lidding slightly. "Where are the others, anyway?" She wondered vaguely.

"I advised them all to get some rest in their own rooms before the evening meal. I suppose I should tell you that Janni has insisted she share your room with you," Aikka informed her, leaning forward in his seat and toying with his hair, trying to take it out of its arrangement. It even still felt damp to him with the rain it had acquired back on Earth. "I hope it will not be a problem, this was actually the last room in the guest…Ah…"

Aikka trailed off as he turned back to look at the girl, finding her just he left her, but more slumped over the window ledge, and apparently fast asleep. The racing cloak he'd given her earlier still draped around her as she sat with her legs folded up against her chest, head resting on her folded arms.

He smiled down at the girl next to him, feeling his hair finally slide onto his shoulders as he finished removing it from its holdings. For a few moments, he just sat and watched her with warm blue eyes, seeing her shoulders rise and fall gently with her breath. How thankful he really was that she could be here with him, in his own kingdom, but even more so that they were all so lucky as to escape the assault on her own home without any hard losses. How grateful he was to see the little smile on her face as she slept there before him.

"Pleasant dreams, 'Princess'," Aikka said quietly, leaning in slightly. Delicately moving some of her damp black bangs aside, he just barely pressed his lips to her forehead, hoping that the gesture would protect her from nightmares in her slumber.

Getting to his feet, he went to retrieve an extra blanket from his bed (the maids who had assisted him earlier with the readying of the rooms insisted that he take extra blankets, just in case) and returned to provide her with some more warmth. With a yawn, he then decided to retire himself.

Flopping backwards and haphazardly over his bed, covering included, Aikka brought a forearm across his tired blue eyes. Sighing, he realized he really didn't know what he was going to do. It seemed that the he was falling even more into something that he shouldn't be feeling, according to his father, and even according to something called common sense. The thing was, he wasn't sure he didn't want to fall into it, either, which was just another problem to add to his list. He was falling in love with his human friend more and more by the day, and he knew it.

The prince rolled over with another sigh, looking over at Eva's sleeping form. He supposed he'd figure out what to do with himself later, as long as he could just have this time with her, however long or short that would turn out to be…Even if he couldn't allow his feeling for her to progress, he just wanted this time with her.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **There you guys have it, my too-long awaited update! XD And with a big mass of fluffiness at the end. Hope that, among the rest of the chapter, makes the wait semi-worth it! .:sweatdrop:

Like I have said many times before, So sorry for the lateness! Ack, I have no one to blame but myself DX and my computer, just to be fair…At one point it even felt like deleting a small portion of this chapter while I wasn't looking. .:glares at computer:. But no worries, that's long since been taken care of. And also like I said before, go check out my guild, peeps! XD

Next chapter, I have a little Nourasian creation legend to share with y'all, (which actually has a corresponding picture lurking around in my sketchy-book, that's gonna be in DA when the time comes) and now that she's rested up, Eva finds herself in the presence of the king and queen, telling her side of the story of Oban. And what about this upcoming Nourasian ceremony that she hears about?

Love you all, I'll be back!


	14. Concerning Culture

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **.:Runs from angry mob:.

Kyaah, I'm deeply sorry about my second bout of shameless lateness, you guys .:bows:. Me and friends have been hanging out, lot's of Final Fantasy has been played (which will be evident to any FFX players when they read this chapter! XD) And also, there was about a month where my grandmother was in the ICU at the hospital after complications in an operation, until she passed away in the morning on June 10th. So, I've been busy with family matters, as well as painting a little something for my grandma. So, any real beefs with the lateness of this chapter, take them up with the Gods, please :) But even with my living in the basement and away from my story-housing computer for a week due to my aunt's visiting, I have managed to actually get about 7 pages into the next chapter, so take comfort in that! All that was actually by PMing myself bits and pieces of it to myself on Gaia XD Problem solving! Mwahah…

So, yes, I'd like to mention, as I stated vaguely above, there is a big huge Final Fantasy reference in here, anyone who's played FFX should notice it. Though I did keep it the same in many aspects, I did change it up a little and added my own aspects to it to suit it for the Nourasians and I hope it works out well. Oh, and then there's the Nourasian language in here that I played with a little. That is basically just me, sitting here late at night, playing with words and sounds, trying to come up with things that sound Nourasian-ish! Though they do have a wee bit of Tolkein-Elvish influence(In fact, 'galad' really does mean 'light') So if anything, it's a hybrid of Elvish and Nourasian! Heh… That's me, for ya… .:sweatdrop:. Oh yes, also the creation myth I promised is in the beginning! I hope you guys like it, and I will be putting up a picture that corresponds to it that I drew a good couple of months ago on my Deviant Art account (remember, on there I am KyokoMari) as well as a new sketch of Molly and Janni's outfits towards the end of this chapter .:shifty eyes:. Another thing I'd like to say is that I hope I wrote Aikka's parents well…

Oh, and I got a scanner for my picture posting purposes! So there:P

_Spellcaster-Hikaru: _Nee-chan:D Oh, yes, Takai will be appearing in this chapter, but things will be made amends. I dunno if I meant to make him such an ass before, but yes, they'll be making up in this chapter and will probably become friends. I don't recall my original plan on how fast that would happen, but I'm sure it was different before I heard certain ideas for him that I'm going to utilize… Plans always change, you know:) I thought there'd be at least a little bit of reluctance in welcoming the Earthlings in Nourasia…I mean, just look at Takai's dad! Oh, and I know I told you about this chapter being done, like days ago, but…Augh. My computer hates me. .:glares daggers:. Complications…slowness…so now I'm doing this on my family computer(after E-mailing the chapter to myself) because it actually works! -.-; Oh, and if you haven't already…get to the RP thread! Quickly, nee-chan! Aikka and Eva are united once more:D

_RedMageSalyre: _Hmm, his eyes are blue, aren't they…? Heh. Sorry bout that, don't recall how I did that mix-up Perhaps it was a product of staying up too late….:sweatdrop:. But yes, the queen just came off to me as the one of them to be more understanding and even supportive of Aikka's possible relationship with a human. Perhaps it's because she was the one during the show that told him to keep to his code, and remain true to himself? I also thought that the king would be the more stern of the two...And besides that, there's gotta be a little internal struggle to make the story more interesting, ne? ;) But yes! Nourasia! And ceremonies! I hope you like it! And I'll hae to catch up with your stories while they're on hiatus….:scratches back of head nervously, then runs off:.

_APurpleAvacado: _Gomen! I didn't manage to make it in a month! .:sinks to the floor in shame:. Sigh, life's a bitch and it takes people away from the writing of fanfiction…but, I think you should be pleased if you really want a little bit of Tajan that much ;P And thank you for giving me the idea in the first place, Avacado-san .:bows:. It gave me a fluffy idea for a little comic for those two that I'm working on…among other projects XD As to the King and Queen, yep, like I said above to RedMage, The queen just comes off as the more understanding of the two. Just me improvising their character based on what little was seen of them on the show. But, as to the views on Aikka and Eva changing, only time shall tell :)

_Sekai Nerah: _You used that line? .:blushes:. Gomen, but I swear that I wasn't trying to do that .:sweatdrops and bows:. I may've read it some time ago, but I don't recall where it was… Oo And thank you for the Canaan Takai comment…I figure there'd be at least a little conflict. Makes the story more interesting, and the characters deeper. And I know what you mean about construction workers…they repaved our streets this week! (though not at four in the morning…Oo)

_Crazyvegimab:_ Yay! My best comment on my Nourasia so far! .:bows:. I was really inspired by that new, possibly suitable for life, planet that scientists found, orbiting a red dwarf star, which, as Koji says, was thought to be an impossible combination. Bout the only time I ever pay attention to the news, when something cool like that happens XD And yes, poor Aikka's having a very tough time… and it may just get even tougher pretty soon here .:shifty eyes:. Sorry it took so long, again, life kidnapped me XD

_Shrouded View: _I'm back again:D And yep, the Sky's all natural in this one. More explanation above and below :3 Really? Ah well, to each their own I suppose. I tend to use the word mate like that, I just never really thought about it. Oo And I think I know what you meant about the over describing of the carvings, would you happen to mean the fable wall? Cause I actually meant to give some detail on that one, as a sort of lead in to the creation myth I got going in this chapter :) If that wasn't the one you meant…um…I'll try harder… .:bows:. And thanks for the honesty of opinion, too:D

_Wild Child 15: _Heh, sugar is fun :) And sorry for the lateness, things and stuff, you know… But, in answer to your computer problems, I'll not say that I'm a whiz in any way, but I'll see if I have anything intelligent to say…Are you having problems with the site, or with the computer itself? And what program are you using, and how far do you get when you actually try to submit something?

_Mystical-twins:_ Yay, a new reader! Thank you, I can't wait to write the rest of it! Believe me on that one…right now it's buzzing around in my head faster than I can actually type! Along with a certain OSR RP I'm participating in :D hope to keep you hooked til the end! Thank you:3

_Isabella of the Night:_ I agree, double identities are super fun :3 I have two myself! Well, 4, if you include my little muleys… But you haven't been in the guild much…what's up with that? .:Pokes jokingly:. j/k XD but seriously, we need more activity in there… .:shifty eyes:. Not too much fluffiness this chapter, but there's lots of stuff going on!

_Frubaforever:_ I love Fruits Basket! X3 I'll have to wonder over eventually XD Thank you and sorry for the long wait!

_OSR4ever: _Oh dear, I hope your grades did not suffer too much because of the all-nighter…Please don't sue! D: .:begging eyes back:. And sorry it turned out to be a longer wait than last time… .:continues begging eyes:. No sue?

_Galonicandragon: _Hee, another new reader! Thanku:D lulz, cliffhangers are fun… .:shifty eyes:.

_Fushica:_ Kyu, thanks! Did I manage to do it again:3

_IchikoKitsuneKoumori: _Kyah, I know, the Catgirl had a brain fart with Canaan's eye color… .:Knocks self on head:. Catgirl is a dummy sometimes! .:sweatdrop:.

_Thechickenlittle: _.:bows down:. Fabulous? Orly? There is no emoticon(at least not one that's allowed on this site) that describes my glee over that word being associated with my writing…T.T and yeah, the whole Canaan and Takai issue will balance itself out in its own way… .:shifty eyes:.

_Whitehitsugaya:_ thanks! Not too much fluff this chapter, but I hope you like it just the same! And doesn't it always lead to trouble? ;D

_CrystalPersian:_ Thanks:3 Hope you like!

Disclaimer:….Wait, I'm still writing these things?? .:shrugs:. Oh well. Oban Star Racers belongs to the most awesome Savin Yeatman-Eiffel and his company, not to me… Awesome Awesome Awesome…Wish I'd thought of it! Takai and Janni are mine:o

**--**

**-Chapter 14-**

**Concerning Culture**

**--**

If there was one class that Eva had enjoyed in school, besides of course anything mechanical, it was astronomy/interplanetary studies. Leastwise after Oban had happened. She was sure that she'd learned things about Nourasia in her class at the Stern Boarding School, but through the course of time, and due to the fact that she never really paid too much attention to those particular teachers in the first place, what little information on the royal planet they provided was more or less lost to Eva.

However, it seemed she quickly regained this knowledge with a few observations by Koji on their first evening on the planet. The scientific aspects of Nourasia soon came back to her.

For one, Koji had told her and the rest of the group, Nourasia orbited a star that burned the color red, a Red Dwarf, by the Earth's terms. This was what provided the sky with its unique coloring, of course. He also expressed his personal fascination with it, marveling at the fact that up until early parts of the 21st century, planets that orbited such stars were thought to be unsuitable for supporting life. In his studies back home, he'd only imagined such a planet, and had never thought he'd live to actually see one in his lifetime.

For another, Eva rediscovered the differences Nourasia had from Earth in terms of simple statistics. As Koji had told her and the others, as they shared rights over a small bounty of Nourasian cuisine on the guest terrace under the stars, the orbit that Nourasia had around its star was wider than that of Earths. This meant a longer year, and though he couldn't say exactly what the ratio between their two planets was, he thought it to be somewhere between three to four Nourasian years to every five Earth years.

Even with the longer period of time for years, the Nourasian day was shorter than Earth's by a few hours, due to the size of the planet. By the time that most of the humans had awakened, it was already dark. Considering that they had arrived on the planet just after the Nourasian noon, according to Aikka, this was somewhat new to them. They had actually all slept long enough to have missed the evening meal, Aikka included. And so it had been arranged by Aikka that they'd have their late meals in the guest wing, on the terrace just outside. It would still be hours yet until the glow signifying the Crog fleets would be visible in the skies, so they were actually safe for the time being with being on the terrace without being spotted by the enemy.

So outside the human group had sat for a while, experimenting with the Nourasian dishes they'd been provided with, and often times marveling at the flavors. Aikka had sat with them as well, enjoying his own food.

Something else that became obvious about Nourasia, was that it in fact had two moons. While the one moon that Eva had seen on their way into the palace still hung and shown bright brown-orange, much in the same spot it'd been in during the day. But towards the end of their meal, the humans noticed the great blue moon that rose steadily above the trees. At this point in its cycle, it had waned into a perfect crescent.

It was when this blue moon made its appearance, staining the naturally lavender foliage into a calming indigo color, that Aikka took over in the telling of his planet. He told them of how the Nourasian people had, for ages, measured their time by the waxing and waning of the moons; the brown measured the Nourasian week, as long as ten Nourasian days. And, though years were of course dictated by the planet's orbit around the sun, the blue moon actually seemed to complete its rotation in one year. It had become a timetable to measure the seasons, much like humans had calendars.

More impressive, though, was the story that lay behind those moons, an old Nourasian tale.

In the beginning, according to legend, far before the first Nourasian, or the first beetle, even before the rivers began carving their ways through the planet of Nourasia, there was essentially nothing, save for a barren land floating in the cosmos. It was a world of Gods and spirits before mortal beings had come.

This was the story of two particular spirits, named Sekai and Sera, sister spirits that were roaming the cosmos, looking for a place to call their own. And so they eventually came to the little planet-to-be, bathed in the crimson light that came from its star.

They could sense the potential this globe held, the beauty it could possess, if given the proper care. Even if it was still plain, a canvas yet to be painted on, they felt the true aura of the planet. Especially Sera, the younger sister, saw this. For she was full of life and eager to create.

The two sisters decided to claim this part of the cosmos as their own, this planet as their charge. So they began forming their own second entities from which they could watch over the planet. These entities, of course, are the two moons. Sera, being the younger, became the smaller moon, her brown color representative of her spunky tenacity, her solid will to create and nurture. Sekai, the elder, became a larger orb of bright blue, to exhibit her beauty, a soft color to exhibit her kindness.

Once they'd established their second entities, Sera eagerly set to work, forming various dolls, of various shapes and sizes. It was her fondest goal, to someday see the tiny dolls as living beings, walking around on their planet. But first, the sisters would have to sculpt a suitable and beautiful land for them to inhabit. And so they set to work on shaping the land, giving their future people something worthy to live in and making it to be one of the most beautiful planets in the cosmos.

However, as skillful as Sera the younger moon spirit was at sculpting and creating, she was still a youngling in the eyes of the spirits. She could not give the life force to her dolls that would allow them to walk the planet they'd created. No matter how she tried, Sera could not successfully breathe life into the future Nourasians.

It was then that Sekai took to the dolls, gently blowing her magic into them, giving them life, a gift for her sister. Soon enough, with the life force that the elder sister had provided, the dolls were no longer dolls, but living and thriving beings.

It was said that the original Nourasian's recalled something of their experiences as dolls, which was how the legend came about, or perhaps it was simply comprised within the first ages of Nourasian life to explain the unexplained. Where ever it had come from, the legend had become a key part of Nourasian culture. Sekai's blue had become the key color, a special Nourasian Sapphire-colored stone an essential piece to channel magic, used in both the adornments of royalty and the weaponry of knights. Known as 'Sekai Alam', or Moon Stone in the common, it was not only used as arrow-heads, but was also sometimes forged into the blades of some swords. It wasn't too common for commoners to have such stones, but there were some who did. It was truly a prized gem.

Sera, likewise, had the bronze-brown attribute of Nourasian culture to her name. This occurred more often; there was the darker shade of stone that many a Nourasian building were carved of, as well as a very rare metal that was only used as royal jewelry, particularly the headpieces of the royal family and their closest guards. Then there was simply the fact that most Nourasian attire had some form or shade of the color in it.

And of course, the sisters had a part in the telling of time on the planet as well. It was said, as a mythical explanation for the Moons' cycles, that the waxing and waning was much like the coming and going of the two sisters.

The sisters enjoyed watching their creations, but they did vanish from time to time, as even gods had to wonder about once in a while. So, it was said, when the moon was full, it symbolizes its spirit host's complete attention on the planet, whereas a new moon would symbolize the spirit's being elsewhere. And while Sera checked up on her creations quite frequently, Sekai always held a longer gaze, providing her subjects with the most magic and life during her reign. There was often a festival at Sekai's peak, to celebrate her reign, her gift of life, and to signify the new age.

But seeing as how Sekai was at the moment waning, Eva knew the chances of seeing such a festival was unlikely, and even then, it'd be a long wait. It couldn't stop her from dreaming, however, which was exactly what she was doing now, in the later morning of the next day, her second day on the Moon sisters' planet.

Or at least it was what she was trying to do.

"Molly, wake up, I must speak with you," she only vaguely heard Aikka's voice in the hazy distance of her mind. "Molly, come now, you must get up!" Aikka laughed at her frowning face as he gently shook her shoulder, bringing her all the more from her festival fantasies.

"Nnn…! Aikka, go back to bed already…I'm tryin' to dream…" Eva slurred as she attempted to roll over onto her opposite side, only to find her cat occupying where she wanted to go to escape. So, she settled on sprawling out where she was. Aikka smiled and inwardly laughed at the girl before reaffirming his hand on her shoulder.

"Molly, I shouldn't see fit to return to bed, as it is nearly the mid-day meal!" he replied playfully, still leaning over her bed.

Eva opened a sleepy crimson eye at the prince as she lay sprawled on her back, and gave a yawn, setting a forearm over her eyes to protect from the light.

"I'm not that hungry, you go ahead…" she commanded sleepily as Satis got up next to her and stretched out, his sleep decidedly interrupted. Aikka shook his head and sat on the edge of her mattress.

"That isn't exactly why I'm summoning you," he told her awkwardly, blue eyes slinking off slightly. Eva didn't move but lay listening. "Concerning the mid-day meal…My parents… They would like you to dine with us."

Eva's eyes snapped open from under her arm. She was very suddenly awake.

"They want…me?" She asked with a dry mouth, starting to prop herself up on her elbows. "What for?"

"I don't know exactly." Aikka said truthfully, speaking low so Janni wouldn't be disturbed as she slept next to Eva. "It would be wise, nonetheless, for you not to be late. Punctuality is a very important thing to my parents…"

"Oh…Ok. I'll be right out…" Eva said nervously, pulling herself quickly out of her coverings. Satis glanced at his master as the girl gave a quick look at her clothes. They were still her own red shirt and boxers, and the shirt was currently covered in whatever debris managed to hang on from the previous day, as well as having a bit of staleness about it from the rain.

"W-wait, what am I going to wear??" Eva suddenly asked Aikka, as he started for the door. This was no way to meet a king and queen. It may have been acceptable yesterday, given the circumstances and the fact that she had been covered by a racing cloak, but now… Aikka merely smiled at her.

"Do not worry." He pointed over to a wide wooden dresser. Looking there, Eva saw a couple of piles of neatly folded fabric, in browns and whites, even a few crimsons. "The maids brought Janni and you some changes of clothing during the night. Anything from that selection should do, there isn't any great need for you to be _too_ formal."

Eva looked over to the dresser, and, seeing the provision, estimated it to be quite a selection. She looked back at the prince's smiling eyes, and nodded.

"If you need any help with the garments, just speak with me through the door, and I'll see if I can find a maid to assist you. I'll expect you in five minutes, Lady Eva," Aikka said playfully, bowing to her as he exited through the door. Eva smirked at the young man as he disappeared behind the heavy door. Turning to the dresser, she decided to get started.

"Hmm, let's see…" Eva mumbled, delving through the clothes.

"Nnn, Eva? What's going on?" Janni murmured, sitting up in the bed a few minutes later. "Where are you??" Eva emerged from the bathroom seconds later and posed in her new outfit.

"Ta-da! What do you think?" Eva asked the other girl. Janni stared confusedly at the girl, who was apparently wearing some Nourasian garb.

"I think you're nuts, being up this early to play some dress-up…" Janni said. Eva laughed and tossed her friend some clothes from the pile she hadn't claimed for her own.

"Get with the times, it's nearly lunch!" Eva said, almost the very definition of chipper. "I gotta go, though, so I'll catch up with you later. Make sure Satis doesn't get out, k?"

"Huh? You're going somewhere?" Janni said, tossing the covers off of her legs and pulling herself out of the bed. Yawning and sticking her gun in the back of her pants, a tradition she was going to make frequent, as she was now a guardian, she walked after the other girl, now on her way out the door.

"Yeah, Aikka's parents want me to have lunch with them…" Eva explained. Janni raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Alright, go have fun without me…I'll see you later. Maybe I'll go get some sleep…" the gunner yawned again, and Eva laughed.

Aikka turned to Eva's doorway as the girl emerged, and was immediately pleased with what he saw. Grinning, Eva stood before him in an outfit that appeared to be a bit mix-and-match. A long, white with brown-bordered tunic, that almost reached her knees and split up the sides, served as her top, a pair of plain white trousers, not unlike his own current ones, as her bottoms. Along with the traditional separate sleeves and sandals, Eva had tied a red sash from her supply of Nourasian clothes around her waist for added decoration. The girl had even pulled her hair back into a ponytail, giving her almost a whole new look.

And, staring bright-eyed back at him, Eva finally noticed the prince's own change in appearance. Today his hair had changed again, and was now more loose; while parts of it still wound through his headpiece, most of it was down, and tied loosely at the end at the back of his neck. Sections of it in front of his ears, as well, were tied off with Sera's metal beads. Aside from his hair, his attire looked more regal. While he still had pants similar to those of his racing gear, he now had a brown over-shirt, reaching mid thigh and tucked under his belt. The ends of his sleeves actually seemed to extend off his shoulders, almost like how his armor did, but nowhere near as far.

Now, Eva thought, he really looked like a prince. The Nourasian held a hand before him.

"Shall we be on our way, then?" he suggested. Eva smiled back as she shut the door behind her.

"My pleasure, prince," she told him with a smile.

Back through the mazes of palace hallways they went, and somewhere along the way, Eva finally made the connection between the carving in the corridor by the infirmary, and Aikka's story the previous night. She stared, still fascinated by everything she passed, until they reached the great hall, and Eva had no clue where they were. Aikka told her it was the center of the bottom level of the palace, and that this was also where the royalty held some festivals, though generally, those were held outside, with nature. It was where the king and queen held their court, during normal circumstances. The room they'd held the previous night was some 'inner throne room,' one that the king and queen would retreat to if there was any threat to the palace, such as the present group of Crogs looming just beyond the planet's atmosphere, most likely plotting their next mode of attack...

"Ah, is there anything specific I need to do? Like a different type of bow, or something?" Eva asked Aikka cautiously as they approached the small group of guards near another Crimson curtain. This one, though, hung from a vaulted ceiling that was much higher than the other. Aikka simply laughed slightly at how nervous the human appeared to be.

"No, all our bows are very much alike. Other than that, just keeping to the rules of chastity is all you need to do. Just be yourself, Eva, you'll be fine." Aikka smiled sideways at her. She nodded beside him, blushing at the thought of how silly she must have sounded. How could she help it, though? She was nervous. It wasn't everyday she had lunch with the king and queen of an entire planet. Much less when they were the parents of the person she actually felt very fond of…

Before she knew it, the both of them strode under the curtain, and up to a large table, where the king and queen were already seated at their places. The royalty stood as the prince and Eva came into the room, and both bowed towards their son and their guest.

"Welcome, my son, and good afternoon to you, Lady Eva," King Lao began once his bow was completed. Aikka led Eva in their own set of bows, and Eva flushed at being greeted directly. "I trust the guest room was to your liking?"

"Yes, it's very nice, thank you," Eva said with a nod. The king nodded approvingly.

"Very good, you are most welcome."

"Hmm, let us not all stand forever, come, my children, sit down, sit down!" Nori said cheerfully, beckoning them over to the lengthy table. Aikka led her over to the nearest side of the table, choosing for himself the seat nearest his father and opposite his mother. They all sat down together, upon the King and Queen's actions, and Eva hoped she was doing fine for her first time among royalty.

After a few minutes of heavy silence, and Nori looking imploringly at Lao again, the king decided to start up a conversation, just as Aikka tried to concoct the very same thing.

"My son tells us that you are a most skillful racer, you even defeated Kross in the final battle of the Great Race!" The king began, smiling at her for once. "All on your own, as well, I must say I'm impressed. For someone your age, to defeat a mature Crog, you are a very talented young lady." he continued, as the servants brought out some food for them. Eva flushed again on the other side of Aikka.

"Oh, well…I don't know, I guess it was all instinct…" she said before thanking the servant who set her food in front of her. "Actually, I'm not sure I was even alone…I felt my mother's spirit with me. She helped me get away from his blades…" Eva said quietly, thinking back on the phenomenon. "I'm sorry if that sounds odd…"

"No, dear, it's actually quite familiar to us," Nori smiled at her from across the table. "You see, it is Nourasian belief that when one dies, their spirit returns to the life force, which in turn, comes back to each and every one of us. Life continuously moves in a cycle like this." The woman explained. Her smile suddenly turned to a look of concern, though, and she leaned slightly forward. "Though I am sorry to hear of your mother, what happened to her, dear?"

Aikka looked worriedly at his friend as this question was asked; he knew it was a rough subject for her. Eva, though she looked slightly pained at the memory, didn't object to the question, however. Something about Nori…just made it alright.

"Well…She was a pilot…A great pilot, the greatest on Earth. But, she died in a crash when I was only five years old." Nori nodded sympathetically. King Lao nodded wistfully over his food. Aikka simply chewed on his own food modestly. Eva even finally saw it fit to begin into her own plate, glad to see some familiar things from dinner last night…or at least similar things.

"So what brought you to the Great Race? The Earth team hired you as their pilot?" The king asked after another bout of silence.

"Well, actually, no…I was a stowaway;" Eva explained, knowing that the whole explanation was going to be needed again. "I came to my father's racing company to reunite with him after ten years, ten years after my mother's death, but he didn't recognize me. I decided to just make my way into his company as a mechanic, but then he got called off to Oban, and I snuck along and called myself Molly… I was only the pilot because Rick got injured in our first race due to sabotage. I didn't go there to race, I just wanted to make sure my dad noticed me and to hopefully get him back, though as the race went on, I wasn't so sure on that he really was sort of a jerk sometimes..."

The king and queen both looked astounded at her, and for a second, she was worried that she'd said something wrong. Suddenly the king let out a slight laugh. It wasn't much, but nearly enough to send poor Eva into shock.

"You certainly have a unique story, Lady Eva. This is the same father who you worried over yesterday, is it not? You are very forgiving," he suggested to her with a raised eyebrow. If Eva had to guess, this was…humor?

"Oh, no," she said, blushing. "It's ok, we've patched things up and everything, he's not a jerk to me anymore! Just overprotective at times!" She laughed nervously. She was so relieved to feel Aikka laughing beside her. The king smiled slightly at her remark.

"It is refreshing to meet a human with such a broad character as yourself." The king said, while Eva felt her stomach churn pleasantly just from the fact that he'd complimented her. "I always knew my son had a good judge of character," He said, turning his look to Aikka, who in turn, blinked and smiled as he worked over a small piece of meat.

"Speaking of which, how is it that you two came to meet?" Nori said, holding her spoon before her as she asked. Aikka glanced with a smile at Eva, as she decided to take the question herself; apparently the ice had been broken enough as to make her much less nervous, something he was glad of.

"Oh, he saved me from being trampled by a bunch of aliens who really weren't looking where they were going," Eva said proudly, before taking a sip of her water. Was it just her, or did this water taste a bit purer than she'd ever imagined? "That was just before I got to watch him in his first race," Eva added, setting her glass down. "He's really good, I knew he'd be a good opponent when I saw it."

Aikka managed to resist the blush that began creeping up on him at this as he busied himself with a sip from his own goblet.

"Oh, yes, I believe I recall this," The king said, stroking his beard. "You were the one whom I ordered Aikka to take out early in the race, just after his unfortunate match with Spirit, yes? I apologize, but one does what one must in those times, I hope it hasn't left any harsh feelings between the both of you," Eva shook her head and smiled. 

"No, it's alright, I understand, the race was harsh on everybody," she said, before casting a look to her side at the prince. "We're past all that," She said honestly, as the prince smiled back at her. For a second their eyes connected and the honesty of their friendship made the both of them reluctant to let their smiles fall, or for either of them to look away.

Meanwhile, Nori smiled knowingly on the two adolescents, while the king honestly tried to ignore it along with the fact that he'd really been the one to cause it. Sipping his tea, he decided a change in subject was in order.

"So, I am also curious, what exactly is Earth life like, Lady Eva? Perhaps having a guest such as yourself would help me understand your race better." Lao said, sure enough breaking his son's gaze with the girl. "There are of course the Nourasian ideas of humans, but these may not necessarily be true. Would you like to share anything?"

With that question, the conversation continued on throughout the meal. Eva was glad to supply what answers she could to the questions of her own planet and its workings, mainly culture. She'd rather not enter too much on her jaded views of the government, her group's recent dealings with the President still fresh in her mind for one reason. As the meeting wore down, though, it came up, with Aikka being none too appreciative about the president's carelessness.

"I have respect for the planet and its people, but if the leader of a planet is unwilling to heed advice for defensive movement, they should surely be reprimanded for their reckless behavior…" Aikka was saying as he set his utensils on his empty plate. Eva mimicked his actions with her own, down to the position each tool was set on the plate. "I do hope Earth will fare safely against the Crogs even with such a man making decisions with such gravity,"

Lao nodded at this, setting his own utensils on his plate, his look a serious one at the news of Earth's plight. Aikka still had a hard expression for the memory of the leader of Earth, and even Nori looked stoic as the three royals rose to their feet, Eva not far behind them.

"Well, it seems as though Earth is in as much danger as ourselves, hopefully we may all be able to survive it together, spirits willing," Lao said with a bow to his son and his companion. As the two youths bowed respectfully to the king and queen, Lao laid a hand on his son's shoulder.

"And Aikka, now that you are back home, I would like you to perform the Sending ceremony this evening," Aikka looked only briefly at his father before answering.

"Yes, it would be my honor, father." The prince said with a bow, while Eva couldn't help but watch on, oblivious to what a 'Sending' ceremony was. She looked confusedly at the prince as he came up beside her and they were excused, but said nothing until they were down a few hallways away from the throne room.

"So you're doing a ceremony tonight?" she asked casually, stowing her hands behind her back as the two of them walked.

"Yes, it's one deeply rooted in tradition, and very important for times like these." He said, his voice going soft with regret. Eva looked at him with curious red eyes, but decided to not press the matter. Aikka, noting her uneasiness, smiled back at her. "Do not worry about it, Molly, I will explain further later on, but as it happens, I have some preparations to make. So I'll leave you here," He paused in front of another door, holding his hand out before it. Actually taking note of where she was, Eva found herself in a familiar place, the doorway to the infirmary.

"Oh!" she said, understanding, and recalling her father. "Uh, thanks," she said blankly to the prince. He smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he began to walk past.

"I will send Canaan or Takai later on for you, I am afraid I will be busy much of the time before the ceremony. Give your father and the others my best," he told her before walking off down the hall. Eva turned in place and stared after him, watching the Nourasian disappear off into the palace.

-- 

All too soon, the afternoon wasted away, and Eva found herself staring out the window in her and Janni's room. She had been thinking about things for a while, ever since she and her father returned from the infirmary with Canaan, who'd apparently mentioned at some point that the ceremony of the Sending was usually restricted in who was allowed to attend, foreigners were rarely ever included, if they so happened to have foreign visitors at the time of a ceremony. The Crogs were usually the one exception of this, though the conquerors usually preferred not to concern themselves with such 'primitive' acts.

Still, the fact that Aikka was performing it, was enough to really make her wish she could go. And besides that, there was the topic that seemed to be ever present lately, the Nourasian's real ideas on the planet known as Earth. It bothered her at times that some only were ever respectful to her because she was around the prince. Canaan's politeness seemed forced at times, and she still hadn't seen or heard of Takai since their little confrontation the previous day. But apparently, hearing her talking to her father about the upcoming ceremony on the way back to the rooms was enough for Canaan to take his chance at exhibiting his dislike for the humans, or so was one of Eva's theories. 

"You're thinking too much, Eva, you're gonna give yourself a headache thinking about stuff like that," Janni told the girl, running a polishing cloth over her hand cannon out of boredom. "Planets always have biases about other planets, and that's just how things are."

"I know, but still…" Eva said dully, stroking the soft fur of Satis who sat drowsily in her lap. "Sometimes they really know how to make you feel like a stranger…I was kinda looking forward to seeing the prince doing this ceremony thing…"

Janni kept her eyes on the reflective surface of her cannon, thinking on this whole Aikka thing. This must have been what it felt like to her brother when she shared her thoughts on Aikka back during Oban. Janni would love to see her brother reunited with Eva, for them to be together and for him to be happy, but she knew this wasn't possible. Aside from the fact that their life spans were now drastically different, and he was millions of light years away, even her brother knew, that prince held a unique place in Eva's heart, and every time she mentioned something about him her eyes seemed to have a special glow. She had to wonder, how long was it until Jordan saw and realized that glow she reserved for Aikka? 

Both of the human girls were brought out of their thoughts by a knock at the door, at which Janni jumped, nearly sending her cannon to the floor. Setting Satis down on the window seat, Eva hurried to answer.

"Hello?" she asked, peeking around the door. The person on the other side of it, however, was one of the last she'd have expected to see. "Oh! Your Highness??" She stammered, dumbfounded, and clumsily tossing herself into a bow. She was met with a hearty feminine laugh.

"Now, now, none of that, Lady Eva, please call me Lady Nori," The queen said, bowing her own head, and laughing again at Eva's stunned speechless expression. "Ah, Lady Janni, was it? It's a pleasure to see you again!" 

"Ah, thank you," Janni said awkwardly and with a bow of her own. Nori then turned back towards Eva.

"Now I'm sure you're already aware of our ceremony set for later this day, and our certain circumstances on it," Nori told them kindly. "However, special arrangements have been made, and you, Lady Eva, and your guardian, Lady Janni are invited to attend, if you are interested in learning more about Nourasia's culture."

At this, Eva could have sworn that her heart stopped and her stomach flipped all at once. Janni simply stood staring at the queen, despite every voice in her head that told her it was unseemly to do so.

"Though I will ask you both to keep in mind that this is a traditional, and very serious ceremony, and you will need…" She suddenly presented a bundle of clothing neither of the girls had noticed in the entrance before her. "…suitable attire."

The humans looked at the bundle and to each other, Eva then smiling broadly. Stepping forward, she accepted the robes for the both of them with a bow. 

"Thank you," Eva said, as Nori smiled at the girls. It was then that Eva knew where Aikka had gotten his expressive blue eyes; the queen was smiling down on her with the same ones.

"It is my pleasure, Lady Eva, I do look forward to having you with us. Aikka sends his best, and hopes to see you there as well, ladies," With a bow, the honorable queen took her leave, and left the two girls to ponder over their new sets of clothes.

This new set of clothes, while a little more difficult to figure out, was indeed a lot more formal. After a series of trial and error, and even a bit of help from a maid, Janni and Eva both found themselves wrapped in what could only be a Nourasian version of a Japanese Kimono, fitted with a white base dress. A brown robe went over it, fastened by several fixtures down the front, along with a sash around the middle, very similar to that of a Japanese Obi, tied in the back in a decorative and traditional knot. Aside from that, a new pair of more formal looking shoes were given to them, and actually reminiscent to the greeks, with strips of the material set to wind around the bottom of their legs in a criss-cross pattern.

So, with the both of them dressed up and ready to go, they waited outside their rooms for someone to fetch them, while explaining things to the others.

"The Sending, eh? Does sound important…" Rick commented, leaning against one of the walls, still in his own clothes.

"Just remember to be respectful, whatever it's about," Don Wei lectured, at which Eva rolled her eyes slightly. As if she needed telling so here, in Nourasia.

After that, Canaan came up to them, also dressed in his best, and stiffly beckoned them off.

"Have a good time, you two," Stan and Koji told them as they left. "Tell us about it, will you?"

After a long, and silent walk down a few levels, and out to the ground level terraces, the trio came to a small and thin patch of woods, where other Nourasians of the city were gathering. According to Canaan, they were nearing the gate to Daal, the Holy City, which was built deeper into the mountainside. There, there were ceremonial waters, where the Sending would be held. Nodding in understanding, Eva and Janni followed silently, keeping eyes on some of the scenery they were passing.

True to his word, beyond the open gates made of swirling wood, Canaan had led them to a vast clearing, with Nourasian people gathering along the banks of a vast lake. On the surface, the two girls could see many tribal lanterns, lit and extending out of the water itself. Two similar lanterns stuck out of the sands near the edge of the waters, and between those two, stood the royal family, Aikka included.

Nourasians streamed along with them as Canaan led them down towards the side of the shore, near the king and queen –the latter giving them a friendly smile in welcome- and Eva noticed the fact that many had either tears in their eyes, or a look of reservation and wistfulness. It was really an atmosphere of melancholy, so much so that many didn't even seem to notice that there were two humans in the mix.

With another look out onto the water, Eva then noticed some shadows underneath the water. It took her only a second longer for her to figure out what the shadows there were.

"Janni, it's a memorial," She whispered to her guardian, who then nodded.

"Looks like it…A city wide memorial service…" She whispered back with awe.

Eva's look turned back to the shore, and found Aikka, dressed up in his best, and holding a metal, blue jeweled staff, and speaking with other Nourasians that were undoubtedly relieved to see him back home and safe. She saw the prince bow to the person he'd just finished talking to, as his blue eyes snuck over to her. His face immediately softened and he gave a her a smile, which was just effective as having actually said that he was glad to have her there.

She smiled back as the low chatter began to die down, as the king stepped forward.

"Friends, we are gathered here this night, to honor those who were lost in the most recent and deadly attack from the Crog Imperium," Lao told them all. "Though many were lost, we must also take joy in the fact that many were spared, including our own prince and heir, Prince Aikka." Aikka then stepped up with a bow on his cue, "My son was thought to have been taken or killed by the Crogs, but with blessing from the spirits and some help from some Earthen friends, he has returned safely to us."

The chatter rose a bit again at the mention of the humans, and Eva and Janni suddenly felt very exposed. With a raise of a hand by the king, however, the crowd fell silent again quickly.

"And so, our prince shall now perform the Sending, in order to safely guide the lives lost back to the life force," Lao announced, stepping back, and letting Aikka have the figurative spotlight. The prince stepped up nobly, and bowed to the entire city, before turning, and actually heading into the water, his long brown outer robes pooling around him on the surface of the water as he went. Eva watched intently, as he stopped where the water met his knees.

Shutting his eyes and raising the ceremonial staff, Aikka recalled to memory the prayer of the Sending. Waving the staff between himself and the underwater caskets, Aikka spoke the start of the prayer, in a voice that was haunting, and almost foreign to Eva, a side of him she'd never seen.

"_Un Sekai, un Sera, Tellanin karane Galad,"_ As he spoke the ancient Nourasian, water swirled lazily out of the lake and around the staff and its owner, taking on a blue glow.

"_Wakarnin te Enare, Tellanin karane Seka…" _Aikka continued, waving the staff majestically over the water, while the moon of Sekai appeared in the sky, as if being summoned by the prince's prayer. The water that played about him lifted to hover and swirl above the memorial in the lake, and as Aikka spoke further, it began to evaporate into the night sky.

Eva was entranced by the whole process, and found the prince's voice still to be surprisingly haunting. Somewhere along the line, with only imagining what all of it meant, a lone tear streamed down her face. She didn't need to be Nourasian to understand and feel sadness for those lost in the attack.

As Aikka's prayer then started coming to an end, the candles out on the water began extinguishing themselves after first blazing blue, a last show of the willful lives of the people they symbolized. Finally when the last had gone out, Aikka closed his eyes, and lowered his staff slowly. In his heart, he so desperately wanted these types of ceremonies to stop happening, for the Crogs to be a worry of the past, just a distant memory.

Turning, he sought comfort from the one girl who could provide him with such a thing as the Nourasian citizens gave their last respects and turned back towards the path for the gate between cities.

Eva herself seemed in a state of awed shock as he looked at her, and as soon as he was able to manage it, he escaped to stand by her. She and Janni both looked impressed, even with the obvious air of mourning about them both.

"Come, I'll further explain what has happened tonight in a little bit," Aikka promised them as he led them off, back up the pathway to the gateway, and on into the terrace gardens of the palace. Here it seemed the Nourasians were gathering again, though it looked like it was on more cheerful terms, sort of like the reception after the funeral, in Earth terms.

"Aikka, that was amazing! What did it mean, if you don't mind me asking?" Eva asked him, with eager red eyes. Aikka smiled back as they all three sat down at a bench away from the main hustle and bustle of the gathering. Aikka thought only for a brief second while inwardly translating the ancient language into Common.

"Well, the first prayer meant, 'by Sekai, by Sera, guide them toward the light, protect them in your mercy, guide them back to the life,' meaning the life force," he readily explained, and at their puzzled look, knew he'd need to further explain.

"You see, when a person dies, it is believed that they are returned to the life force, which in turn supplies all living things with life, by Sekai's will. We pray to Sekai to give us strength and blessing, and whenever we chant our magic. It is like a cycle. And as royalty, it is up to us to protect the life in this, the mortal world. When that is not achieved, such as in a mass attack like this, one of royal blood must perform the ceremony, guide the spirits of the deceased back to the spirits. We must protect them in death and ask for forgiveness for failing them in life. That's what the second part of the prayer was,"

"Oh…" Eva said quietly. There really was a lot about Nourasian culture that she didn't know…She never knew Aikka had that to deal with this on top of everything. She never knew that guilt was such a major part of his burden.

But as the night progressed, her sorrow for him was lifted by the new festivities, a celebration of life and the life force, the mercy of the moon spirits. Aikka said that the little 'party' afterwards was to remind the people to accept the good with the bad; yes, there were losses, but life also went on, there was still hope as long as that happened. So, in that little terrace, under the light of Sekai and Sera, the Nourasians celebrated the blessings they were given despite tragedy. Particularly acknowledged was the presence of their prince, as was many a time demonstrated through the evening, by well-wishers coming to give their relief of his return to the prince, some even going as far as thanking the human representatives.

The prince, in return bowed and spoke with whomever granted him these well wishes, but never once left Eva and Janni on their own. A welcoming greeting though they'd received at the Sending and at this gathering, he didn't see it as fit to leave them off and alone just yet; his people were still getting used to their presence.

Meanwhile the king and queen watched on over everything, but the king was still particularly interested in his son's interaction with Eva. Sighing as Aikka managed to get Eva up to dance with him, he almost welcomed a little interruption on the side by one of his guards.

"Pardon me, sire," Said the younger man with a bow, "The princess has just arrived. Shall you be sending anyone to receive her?"

The king thought for a moment, looking back at his son, currently guiding Eva through the steps of a native Nourasian dance, his face almost beaming, the human not even noticing for her focus on her feet. Though a few people had paused to watch the human, almost with looks of approval on their faces, many seemed not to even notice the prince's dancing with the girl.

"Yes, in a moment, thank you," the king approved, nodding the guard away. With a bow, the guard disappeared again.

"Very good, you're doing very well, Molly," Aikka coached, smiling at the girl as she steadily followed his footsteps in this foreign waltz. All Eva could seem to feel was his hands in hers, and probably more Nourasian eyes on her than there actually were.

"Hmm, left, right…" Eva repeated under her breath, before slipping up and stepping on the prince's sandaled toes. "Oh…Sorry…See, I told you I'm not a dancer!" Eva laughed nervously, red spreading across her face as Aikka laughed it off.

"May I cut in?" a male voice said from the side as Eva tried to retrace the steps in her mind, as Aikka got back to simply beaming at her.

Looking to their side, they saw none other than Takai standing before them. Eva's eyes immediately widened, recalling their little meeting the previous day, and looked away, still red. Aikka looked confused at first, but Takai didn't give him chance to question his friend and guardian.

"Pardon my intrusion, but the king wishes to see you, Aikka." Takai explained with a bow. "I will keep the lady company, if she forgives me," He looked meaningfully at Eva, but Aikka was back into his dutiful mode before he had a chance to actually ponder the last remark.

"Right. I'll go take care of it, I'll return as soon as I can manage." Aikka told them both dutifully, bowing deeply towards his dance partner. "Please forgive me," With that, and a last glint of blue eyes, he was off, leaving Eva with Takai on what was serving in the terrace as the dance floor.

"Shall we?" Takai suggested, holding out a hand before Eva, who hesitated, but nervously took the young knights offering. After a few seconds of just moving through the motions of the dance, Takai spoke.

"I'm sure you have not forgotten our meeting yesterday," he said, almost sheepishly. Eva looked at him, looking up from her confused feet, but nodded slightly. "I wish for you to know, I do apologize for my actions. I was not right to say such things to you. Regardless of the biases standing between our races, you have done much for the prince in his time of great need. I know that now, and I am therefore in your debt."

"I-it's alright, I understand," Eva said. Recalling what he'd suggested to her back when the prince was still there, along with the long standing trait that she knew of the Nourasians, the teaching of forgiveness. "And yes, I do forgive you." She told him with a smile.

It didn't take long for Takai to match the smile, or for Eva's footwork to get the best of her, causing her to step slightly on Takai's foot.

"Oof, sorry…" Eva groaned. Takai only laughed.

"You were right, you are no dancer, lady Eva." Takai observed, which earned a look of slight distaste from Eva, and a puff out of her cheek, her old childhood habit. "That reminds me, though," Takai then said, bringing the air from Eva's cheek.

"The prince, he's always called you, what was it…'Molly?' He still does…but your name is truly 'Eva?'" Takai asked, lowering both of their hands as they decidedly began to walk back to Janni.

"Well, Eva is my real name, but Molly's how he knew me back during the race," Eva explained. "He knows, but he still prefers to call me by Molly," Takai nodded, almost slowly, almost knowingly.

"Really," He said quietly, figuring things out in his head. A small smile came upon his face. As long as he'd known the prince, he'd never known him to call anyone by something like a nickname, or an alias. Besides that, there was always that look he got when he mentioned the name 'Molly.' There was just something different about this girl. The prince was never the same after he met her. And Takai was just beginning to see why that was.

"Well, well, well, what's this? I see you leave with the prince, and you come back with a different dance partner," Janni began, standing up and looking at Eva slyly. The other girl, in return, stuck out her tongue as an act of countering. "Wait 'til I tell Aikka,"

"Aikka already knows, don't waste your breath," Eva laughed, play-punching Janni on the shoulder. "Oh, yeah, this is Takai, and this is Janni, I don't think we were ever properly introduced!" Eva said cheerfully, indicating each of them to the other.

"A pleasure, lady Janni," Takai said, bowing, then offering her a hand. "Would you perhaps like to dance? I'm sure you can't be very entertained just sitting here,"

"S-sure," Janni stammered, suddenly tongue-tied, as she got up, not taking her eyes off of the Nourasian knight. Eva was actually surprised to notice that Takai was apparently just as taken by her, as she caught sight of his brown eyes. She couldn't hold back a giggle at the sight as Takai guided the other human off.

And she continued to laugh for the rest of the night; it seemed that Janni had even more of a problem with keeping in step with her two left feet.

--

Aikka looked monotonously at his people as they swirled around in the ancient dance-steps, still processing the information his father had given him.

"I understand, father, I will go greet her…" He said with a bow, before turning and heading off for the entrance to the palace, an escort ready by him.

Turning and finding Eva back on the bench where they'd left Janni, the gunner girl off with none other than Takai, learning the dance for herself, the prince paused. He recalled teaching the girl how to dance, guiding her hands with his. Feeling his stomach drop, he felt an emotion that was reminiscent to waking up from a wonderful dream.

Turning, he almost painfully remembered that all dreams, no matter how sensational, or how pleasant, must come to an end.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Oh? What's this? A cliffhanger like ending? Hee hee…What do I have planned?

A few random notes, I suppose:

- You may recognize 'Sekai' from whenever Aikka casts a spell on the show. I do this on purpose, lulz…Like Aikka says, when casting a spell, the Nourasians of my design pray to the spirit Sekai. So, 'un Sekai' means 'by Sekai' that's just how I improvised it :)

- How'd you guys like everything, anyway?

- And who is this princess I speak of:o

Next chapter, we'll find out…uh, maybe. At least a little? But first, we'll check in with a certain avatar, see what he thinks about this whole mess. And where the heck is Aikka??


	15. What of the Princess?

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Oh, my gosh you guys, look at this! I got a bonus chapter for you! For all your endless patience with me and my months of disappearing off the face of FF, I hereby reward thee! .:raises arms and throws confetti in substitute of shiny magic:. It's shorter than my typical chapter, at only 11 pages, and only 10 reviews to respond to as of yet:D It's kind of like a filler, but it provides some important things in it. Very important, yesh…

So, let's see what we got…more business concerning everyone's un-favorite president, Jordan doing a few errands, and of course and most of all, encounters of the royal kind! Oo Janni suspects something about the new princess…And Aikka's been hiding all day, but from what?

Oh, and everybody in the reviews seems to know exactly who the new princess is, but I can't say she's gotten a very warm welcome! XD Well, let's see what you think of her now…?

_Spellcaster Hikaru: _Now, now, let's not have murderous thoughts for her just yet… Yep, Jordan's probably drowning in irony right about now…Or…something like irony…ah well. Still not a master of the English language :3 Both his girls are hanging out with Nourasian boys X3 I should draw it, it'd make a fun picture, wouldn't it? XD

_Shrouded View: _Homigosh, thank you! .:bows:. I'm so glad it worked out so well! And that's gotta be my best review ever, thank you so much! This chapter's kind of a filler, and a bonus, really(though it does provide some important views looking into the princess among other things…) but I hope you like it as well! A little more sadness thinking on Aikka's part, but we'll be over that particular bump in the road soon enough… .:Shifty Eyes:.

_Sekai Nerah: _ lol, I loved writing that little bit myself(the 'Aikka go back to bed' one) XD I was hoping someone'd have fun with it too :3 And yep, I figured that's where you got that part of your name! And luckily you didn't have to wait but a few days for this one:D Thanku! X3

_Whitehitsugaya: _Well, you're partially right…? Oo I wouldn't say this princess is obsessed with Aikka. I'm actually trying to make my princess different than the types I usually read in the fanfiction. But you and the others will find out more about that along the way ;P

_Dramaqueen of the Moon: _Hmm, yesh, we shall see about that princess, shall we…? .:shifty eyes:.

_Wild Child 15: _Thank you! And yes, things are going to start happening around here soon, mark my words .:drums fingers together plottingly:. We'll see what part the princess will play in all this :3 And good luck with getting your computer to cooperate, then!

_Thechickenlittle: _You'd think maybe, but she also trusts the prince, a situation that will be investigated further on in this chapter… .:wonders off mysteriously:.

_Crystal Persian: _lol, not too long of a wait this time, was it? XD Thanks!

_Fushica:_ Aw, you haven't even met her yet! .:pouts:. XD

_Goldenrider: _Another new reviewer! Yay! Thank you, and I hope this one isn't too much of a cliffy for you…Oo Keh heh heh…Cliffies….:giggles maniacally:.

Disclaimer: Do not own! Takai, Janni, and Almene pwn you!

**--**

**Chapter 15**

**What of the Princess?**

**--**

For the new avatar, things were getting hectic. With a war going on between his former planet and the Crogs, Nourasia still being threatened by the same race, and the girl he loved being targeted, it was no wonder the deity in training was stressed. It seemed one of the only places he found solace was in the scenery and creatures of his new lodgings, Oban.

As he looked out on some plains, the blue dots of those odd creatures he'd come to name as jelly bunnies, he thought of Eva, the fact that the Crogs had sent a small fleet after her some two or so days ago. He had to thank Aikka, though if the prince hadn't protected all of them, he'd had lost not only the girl he loved, but his little sister as well...

Though he couldn't say they were completely safe there on Nourasia, either. He could tell, the Crogs may have receeded from the lunar planet, but still, they were moving, biding their time. Not only that, but the attack on Earth had been a disturbing one...Jordan knew that something needed to be done, the Crogs would never relent until they were properly defeated.

And well, Nourasia was not the civilization to do this. This was no harsh statement unto the people themsleves, It was simply a matter of strength. Then Earth, Well...Earth had been fairly thouroughly disarmed, thanks to the Crogs. It was amazing how off-guard his former planet was caught, given the fact that they had a reliable source...

Jordan frowned. This was going on long enough...The Crogs were running the show in his galaxy, treading over the rights and lives of weaker species, and he for one was sick of it. He was sick of it before he became avatar, however that was before he had a meditative eye into the inner workings of the entire galaxy. Before he knew the whole truth to the Nourasian-Crog relationship. Now he could see just how abused Aikka's family and people had been, how he may have had a difficult choice to make back during the race, to say the very least. That, among other things, had only made him more angry towards the tyrannical race of the Crogs.

Golden eyes scanned around the sky, their owner formulating a plot. He was the guardian of the galaxy, was he not? Then he should have every right to take action against the Crogs. He had to do something, or he was going to be watching over a war-torn and terrorized galaxy for the remnants of his ten thousand year job.

The Creators may have something else to say about it, but Jordan saw this plan as perfectly justified. As long as he didn't go as hard on the Crogs as he really, honestly wanted to, he'd be within rights.

This plan was even more to encourage the other planets to stand more for themselves anyway...He'd been thinking on this entire plan for a few days now, ever since The Crogs had made their move on Nourasia, thus threatening Eva, the girl he'd do anything for. Up until now, he'd played only a minor role, watching over and observing events between the three planets and of course doing what he legally could to protect Eva...

But now, he could tell, for he was in the process of gaining foresight, things were going to start happening, the Crogs were far from done. Nourasia and his old friends were still in danger. He had to get involved. 

But first he'd have to visit his old home planet, and pay a little visit to a certain president...One who, in the avatar's humble opinion, needed a very serious lecture...

--

At the Capitol city on Earth, Mcmillan, sat deep in thought in the round meeting hall, the same one he'd seen the former avatar himself, all those years ago. His eyes stared listlessly at the holoscreen in front of him, watching the little red icons indicating Crog ships retreat in blinking movement. It was a slow retreat, but one nonetheless.

"Why are they retreating? They have every chance in the world to annihilate us," The president muttered skeptically. The shadows under his eyes became visible as he tilted his head to look to his first advisor, the only other in the room with him.

"They could be biding their time, sir, trying to keep us nervous and on our toes, like they did during Oban with hovering outside our borders..." The advisor hypothesized, while the president looked aimlessly at the screen again, trying to make sense of it. The other man looked to the planet's leader and cleared his throat.

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, sir, and with all due respect, that Nourasian boy told you this was coming, didn't he?" Mcmillan frowned slightly at the screen. The advisors voice became hushed as he leaned down to the president's level. "If the public finds out that you were warned but didn't ready defenses, there could be a scandal, you could even be impeached..." he warned, earning a defeated look from Mcmillan.

"I'm aware of this. It is a problem..." McMillan began, not really knowing where to take it next. Luckily he was spared the thought process when a great roar came from the screen, and the map of enemy lines disappeared in a few waves of static, then streams of yellow light.

Standing abruptly from his chair, Mcmillan couldn't help but feel the sensation of deja vu as the light continued to swirl about the room, until materializing in the center, in the form of a celestial looking body, paired with a distinctly human face.

"The...Avatar," McMillan murmured, while the advisor simply didn't know what to say or do, and just stood where he was, miraculously holding on to the files in his hands. The avatar meanwhile, stared down at the leader of Earth, golden eyes carrying a sort of anger to them.

"You know, I may be new to the whole leadership thing, but I'm pretty sure that misleading and lying to your people is a major faux pas." Jordan said coldly to the older humans. "Maybe you should take the honorable way out and step down."

Mcmillan suddenly grew slightly haughty at this.

"And leave the people of Earth leaderless at a time like this?! Don Wei was right, you really are young..." He raised an eyebrow towards the avatar. "You're no more than a teenager!"

"If I were you, I'd learn to take us 'teenager's advice, instead of throwing it away!" Jordan retorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "Maybe I'm not meditating correctly or something, but I seem to recall that you sent away Prince Aikka's warning, simply because he was Nourasian, even after the Nourasian name was cleared in the race of Oban!" 

Mcmillan said nothing to this, but fumed. Jordan's eyes lost none of their intensity as he glared back at the human. With a sigh, the avatar let down his arms and stood up straighter.

"The fact of the matter is, there's a war going on. And you're involved, whether you like it or not. The Crogs aren't done here. And they aren't done with Nourasia." Jordan's look then hardened all the more as he resisted the urge to spit out the next words. "And let's get one thing straight; I may be the guardian of the galaxy, but that doesn't mean I'm now Earth's personal bodyguard, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't go advertising me so freely, or depending on me to save the day every time you need help. It can't happen, and it won't happen. I don't want to be made out to be the bad guy only a year through my term, even when I'm doing everything right." 

Mcmillan stood there, almost as dumbstruck as his advisor. This new avatar certainly had a tenacious mouth on him. Jordan only continued on, already eager to have this meeting over with.

"I have to go, but you should really keep in mind that the Crogs are a common enemy, and they need to be defeated if peace and order are to come to this galaxy." Jordan told the two of them. "If you don't want to step down or be impeached, I suggest you do your part to eliminate them, and put these petty differences between you and other races behind you. If you don't, I don't think the galaxy will fare very well under divided colors, while being terrorized by the Crogs."

"How can we do that if we have no more warships left?" Mcmillan asked with a crooked grimace, looking as if he'd put the avatar himself into a figurative checkmate. Jordan simply glared at him with a golden gaze. "Perhaps you missed something during your meditation, but those bastards the Crogs managed to hit almost every military base in their attacks!" 

"We'll discuss that later, once you decide whose side you're on. For now, I have other business I need to take care of." Jordan said, disgruntled, before he began to teleport himself once more, spots of yellow light rising around him, seemingly out of the floor below him.

And nothing the President could do or say would make him stay any longer in the man's presence. Jordan had something he needed to take care of a year previous. A very familiar couple of people he desperately needed to visit.

--

They were very much the same as he'd left them, these two people. Both with dark hair, graying slightly at the temples. Their streaks were no where near as bad as Don Wei's, but they still showed their age. After raising two headstrong kids, obsessed with guns and the military, who wouldn't be stressed into early graying?

He decided to revert back to his original form to visit them, his parents, It may come as more of a shock to someone who was older, let alone a pair of adults who had a more practical idea of the world and the universe outside it. They surely wouldn't believe the idea of a mother planet, giving birth to all the other planets from a supposed black hole in the center of the galaxy as easily as his younger sister did. If they saw him in his avatar form, it just might lead them to question their very sanity. He wasn't asking them to understand, or even believe it, he just wanted to take care of the business that the government left unfinished, that up until now and due to his training, he wasn't able to take care of. All they needed to know was the truth.

So, standing at the gate of the house he used to know, Jordan stared up at the structure he used to reside in. His eyes still remained gold, and his hair was a bit longer, hanging around his shoulders, one side partially bleached from the color wearing out and his growing hair.

With a deep sigh in the fading daylight, Jordan took to marching back up the stone walkway of the place he'd once called home. Aside from the slightest damage, he was pleased that it was untouched by the Crog's attacks. It was obvious that his father had been working on tearing down a fatally wounded tree on their land, unfortunately one that held many a memory of summers spent in its shade with Janni and their ever-growing collection of firearms.

He sighed at the thought, but kept moving towards the door. It felt a bit odd, but he did what any guest would do, and knocked on the door. He almost instantly heard activity from inside, the frantic scuffling of a middle-aged couple.

"Janni? Is that you??" He heard his mother's voice from within, riddled with worry for her daughter as she made for the door. Opening it with a creak, she found herself staring up at one of the last people she'd have thought she'd be seeing. "J-Jordan?"

"Hey mom," Jordan said with a smile. Mrs. Wilde looked nothing short of astounded, as did Jordan's father, coming up behind his wife in the commotion. 

"So, so you are alive! I...I thought Janni had finally lost it when she told us you came to her the other night...And then she disappeared, just before the Crogs attacked..." the woman trailed off, burying her face in one of her palms.

"Son, is that really you? What kind of joke is this?!" His father said, coming up protectively behind his mother.

"Yeah, it's me alright." Jordan sighed with a tilted smile. "I'd show you mine and grandpa's tags, but I gave those to Janni. And don't worry, mom, she's alright. You don't have to worry about her." 

With that, the woman looked up at her son. Tears evident in her eyes.

"You really are Jordan, aren't you...That's what you always said about your sister...that she could.." 

"Take care of herself, I know..." Jordan finished, a look of nostalgia on his face. His mother lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek, taking in the sight of her long-lost son.

"You look so different...So much more mature...and your eyes..." She said quietly. "Jordan, what happened to you?" She then asked even quieter. Jordan only thought for a second, looking at her with downcast gold eyes before answering. So much had happened to him, and yet only a few words summed it up.

"I fell in love."

---

"Eva, where the heck are you going?" Janni called out quietly to her friend as the other girl escaped from the corridor of the palace to an outer terrace. "Helping those knights with the damage may be one thing, but I don't think we're allowed to be out here..." The gunner said, rubbing her arms uncomfortably.

The two of them had indeed come from helping with some repairs deeper in the palace. It wasn't that hard once everyone got into the habit of speaking the common language in the process so that the two humans could understand instructions. The Nourasians had actually been quite patient and understanding with them, and had commented to Takai, their escort, that they'd provided some good help. Eva personally couldn't wait to tell Aikka about that portion of the day, but for now, she and Janni were essentially on their own, and just close enough to the guest wing to be without an escort.

"Aw, come on, Janni, just a quick look, I didn't see that much the other night from Aikka's room!" Eva said, leaning over the stone balcony, again battling the lavender foliage for sights of the city. Janni looked for herself, but still grumbled. 

"Yeah, I still wonder what happened that night," Janni said slyly, coming up beside Eva, who looked indignantly back at her companion, trying to hide a blush.

"What, nothing happened, are you crazy?" Janni only smirked and gave a short laugh. Eva looked away in a huff, knowing a blush was betraying her. She knew nothing happened that evening, the prince was far too polite and chivalrous to try anything or initiate anything. She still wasn't even sure if he even felt that way towards her, to begin with! Still, the thought left her cheeks red, and such was her current problem. 

"Yeah, okay, okay, I'll trust Princey...But if he does make a move on you," Janni said, patting her handgun suggestively, a somewhat crazy grin on her face.

"Don't shoot my friend, Janni..." Eva sighed, actually finding herself used to such remarks from the other Wilde she'd known. Then, catching sight of some plants on the wall of the palace, she found something else to entertain herself with. "Hey, look at this stuff," Janni had no choice but to follow the fascinated girl.

The vines intertwined around each other, blue flowers dotting the plant, Eva was almost reminded of the vine plants she'd seen in the flying temple back on Oban. The only difference was that there was so much more of this sort, winding layers over the stone wall.

"It's so beautiful," Eva sighed, leaning in to survey the scent. However, as she delved her fingers a bit into the winding vines, and being distracted by trying to figure the smell, she didn't notice the vines as they began to move around her hand.

"Ah, Eva," Janni warned, taking notice as she walked up. "Get away from that thing!"

"Huh? OH!" Eva cried, finally noticing as the vines took a grip on her, and only held tighter when she tried to escape. The blue petals of the flowers clasped together, hiding themselves, as the vines wound a little tighter around the human's wrist.

"It...It won't let go!" Eva hissed worriedly, tugging as gently as she could manage, not really wanting to damage the plant. Janni, after helping Eva pull, to no avail, stole her gun from the back of her Nourasian belt.

"I really didn't want to do this," She said uncomfortably, aiming for an area away from Eva's hands, just to scare the animate plant. "Sheesh, Jordan gets a sinking temple, I get the murderous plant!"

"No, wait, that won't be necesary," A voice came up from behind the gunner, as a young woman, a Nourasian, quickly made her way to stand between Janni and the plant, next to Eva.

"Wha?" Janni said dumbly, lowering her gun as the new girl smiled back at the two Earthens.

"This is an Athelas plant, it's quite defensive, easily frightened, and protective of its flowers. But the Nourasian people have learned that it actually responds well to simple, kind gestures," The girl explained, bringing a hand up to gently stroke the vines nearest Eva's entrapped hands. True to her word, the vines seemed to relax, and slunk away from Eva, leaving her free.

"Thanks," Eva said, amazed at how easy it was. The Nourasian smiled serenely and gave a short bow.

"It's my pleasure to help you, lady Eva," the girl said with smiling lavender eyes, underneath a Nourasian crown, not much unlike Aikka's. Janni wondered briefly about this common trait, but said nothing. Eva, meanwhile, was blushing at the fact that she was so well known already. "You may not believe it, but you are actually quite well known to our people. Prince Aikka has told us all about the races,"

"Oh, you know Aikka?" Eva suggested with a smile, suddenly wondering where said prince actually was. The Nourasian suddenly sported a sort of regretful look as she heard the question.

"Yes, a little. Oh, pardon me, I am Almene, I'm to be--" The girl began, before she was interrupted by some elder woman, in the arching doorway of the terrace.

"Lady Almene, you are wanted within," the woman said with a bow. Almene turned back after this, and gave a delicate bow, burgundy hair glinting in the sun. 

"I must go. It was a pleasure to actually meet you both, I hope we are able to meet again someday," Almene said kindly, her long ears perking up with her light mood.

"Our pleasure, too, and thanks again," Eva said, bowing herself, along with Janni.

"Come on, let's head in ourselves, Eva. Before any more vines try to eat us," She said jokingly, while something bothered her within. Eva followed her closely on the short way back to their room, bidding their greetings to the pair of male mechanics, huddled over a computer in the hallway, doing what they could to keep on top of their studies on a foreign and non-technological planet.

Flopping on the large bed, Janni took out her gun care kit, and ran the cleaning cloth over her handgun, staring up at the stone ceiling all the while. Eva, meanwhile, sat starring out the window, and pulling some table scraps out of her pocket to feed a very eager Satis with. Things were running through Janni's mind as she absently cleaned her weapon, following the subtle patterns in the Nourasian stone with her eyes. This girl, Almene, she hadn't left the gunner's mind since they'd departed one another. She had the same kind of crown as Aikka did…and hadn't Aikka told them that the metal used to make those headpieces was only used for the royalty of Nourasia, and for the royals' closest guards, like Takai?

So, this girl could be royalty, perhaps even a daughter of a guard, though unlikely. But if she was right in her theory, Janni sensed that perhaps Eva was going to have a hard truth to realize about the prince. If she was right about this girl, then…

"You know, I think Satis has really taken a liking to Nourasian food," Eva laughed from the window seat, bringing Janni from her thoughts, to the realization that she'd stopped doing her gun-cleaning ritual somewhere in her little session of thinking. She suddenly wondered, if Eva had noticed the same thing as she had? Sitting up, Janni looked at Eva.

"Eva, what do you think of Almene?" She asked seriously. Eva turned wide eyes toward her friend.

"I dunno, she was pretty nice, actually, I like her!" Eva laughed. Janni made no change in expression, but set her feet on the ground from the bed.

"Well, yeah, I'll give you that one, but, did you notice her headpiece?" Janni asked, getting to her feet and walking over to near the window. Looking straight at Eva's wide-eyed look, she awaited the other girl's answer.

"No, I suppose I didn't?" Eva answered uncertainly. If she did, she really didn't think on it, apparently…Perhaps she was just of used to talking to Aikka and seeing it there…

"Only royalty wear that metal for their crowns, remember? All I'm saying is…" Janni trailed off, staring then out the window. She stared off, for a second thinking on what she was really about to suggest to Eva. Did she really want to possibly break the girl's heart? She had the right to know, but was it really her place to tell her? She wasn't completely biased towards her brother's favor to notice that Eva was falling fast for the Nourasian prince, and this new Nourasian, Almene…just seemed to bode complication to Eva's situation, on top of everything else…However kind and courteous she'd been.

Janni, like her older brother, just wanted Eva to be happy…

"Do…do you think she's a princess?" Janni asked vaguely, at which Eva raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, maybe, but Aikka doesn't have any sisters, he told me…" Eva said quietly, and Janni could tell that Eva was coming to realize something herself. Sitting beside her on the window seat, Janni looked at Eva with dark, serious eyes.

"Did he ever say anything about…being engaged?" Janni asked quietly.

Eva got a very wide-eyed look, but thinking about it, she realized he hadn't. But she didn't find it suitable to write the prince off so easily yet.

"Well, no, but he would have, right? In fact, knowing the Prince, he'd probably introduce us to one another, anyway," Eva said with a slight laugh as she got to her feet with Satis in her arms. Petting the purring creature, she figured that had to be the case. Aikka was always eager to share his life with her, if he was in love with someone else, why wouldn't he want his best friend to meet his betrothed? She completely trusted him like this; she shared her life with him, and he with her.

Janni was worried about this fact, though. If she trusted the prince that much, perhaps something was going to break in the future. If this girl really was what Janni thought she was, this would lead to heartbreak either way for Eva. She just hoped Aikka would do the princely thing and tell her himself soon, so it'd be one of the less devastating ways…

Janni decided at this point to leave the subject where it was, this was now Aikka's turn to explain things. She'd at least brought up her concern for her friend. Eva even couldn't deny that there was a small, quiet and almost dormant part of her, that worried over this new situation that seemed to be asking one thing.

Were the prince and the princess really what Janni was making them out to be?

--

Aikka meanwhile, sat in the palace library, thumbing through pages of his current study, though his blue eyes didn't really see the words written on the passing pages. His thoughts were completely and painfully elsewhere, on the fact that he was essentially hiding out in this place. Hiding from Canaan, his parents, the princess…and though he hated to admit it, from Eva.

He needed desperately a way to tell her the truth, to tell her about the new guest, the princess. He'd welcomed Almene the previous night, during the festivities, who'd traveled there with her mentor from her family's ruling region as soon as she'd received word of his safe return to their kingdom. Her sudden arrival certainly did throw a new element into his situation; he thought that he could battle his own feelings for Eva until she left for Earth, whenever that would be, but now with Almene actually around, Eva was bound to meet her somewhere along the line, and to have questions. He was bound to have to tell her a truth that was sure to leave her even more heartbroken.

Silently groaning into his hands, he thought so desperately of a way to tell Eva without hurting her…He knew she had feelings for him, but did she know how he felt about her? Even if she did, he doubted she'd know exactly how much it was hurting him as well to just have to tell her that he and Almene…

"Prince Aikka? Is this not the moment?" A feminine voice said from above him. Pulling his face quickly from his hands with a bit of shock, he looked up to find none other than Princess Almene standing before him, a nervous smile on her lips. Sinking to a bow before him, the princess spoke shyly and with a slight blush. "I do hope I haven't interrupted, my prince," Aikka cleared his throat and pushed his book aside as he stood up to about half a foot taller than the girl.

"No, not at all, I was only doing a bit of catching up on my studies…" Aikka lied, his hand coming up to run through some auburn hair. Almene looked oddly at him, however, and stepped slightly forward.

"Are you sure you are alright? You look a bit tense," she suggested as Aikka's hand then took to lightly rubbing his temple. Aikka's sapphire eyes turned to actually look at the princess now, finding lavender eyes full of concern for her future husband. Inwardly frowning at the thought that it wasn't Eva he was giving this analogy to, he shook his head lightly.

"No, do not worry over it, I only have a bit of a headache. All this reading…" Aikka said, which wasn't entirely untrue; he really was getting a headache from this whole matter, not to mention the ache in his chest that told him he really was in love.

Almene seemed to buy it, though she was disappointed she couldn't really help him with providing someone to talk to. Though she seemed to sense that there was something else on his mind, she decided to say nothing of it and merely smiled at him.

"Well, I was actually hoping, if you are feeling well enough later, that…" Almene paused, nervously working out the words. "That perhaps we could have the evening meal together, in order to get better acquainted with one another?"

Aikka stared at her, but gave in, nodding. "I'm sure it can be arranged, I'll find you later on this evening, then," Aikka scheduled, and Almene smiled and nodded.

"Great, I really look forward to it," she said with a bow. "Thank you, Aikka, I'm glad to have found you, I'll leave you to your studies again," she said courteously. With an agreeable nod from Aikka, the princess headed back out of the great room of the library, leaving the prince alone again.

Sighing and letting his confident shoulders sink slightly, Aikka looked towards the window, finding crimson daylight streaming in over the stone floor and wooden tables. Walking over to that window, the prince leant lazily onto the sill, feeling trapped in his present situation. He was so trapped by these strange emotions that he was hiding from the girl he loved most, dreading the fact that he'd have to be the one to tell her about Almene, that there could be no future between him and the human beyond friendship. He had to be the one to break her heart. This was precisely why he'd preferred to be the only one with advanced feelings towards the other!

But he supposed he should figure something out soon, figure out the easiest, the lightest way to let her go, but this was going to be easier said than done…

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-:** So, there we have it, the princess has been introduced! What do you guys think of her so far? I'm really trying to make her different than the normal 'Aikka's fiancée' character that we see in fanfiction, the one who's usually possessive over him, sometimes/often very hostile towards Eva, and whatever else you'd like to call them. Almene is different, we already see that she's a soft-spoken girl, and ready to help and give out her kindness, and I'd even say that she's pretty shy too. More on her in depth relation to Aikka to come, I won't reveal all in this one note ;)

And I don't know where her name came from, I may have picked it up somewhere a while ago, but the heck if I remember where. I really like it, though, and I was going to use it for the name of the Queen, back when this story was in its very early development and before I read up on the forum that the Queen's name is actually Nori. So ja, there we go:D And I did me a colorful drawing of Almene, and I'm gonna post it up on DA tomorrow, I recommend that you go see it, since I really didn't go too much into her appearance in here, but I'm really proud of her outfit.

And not to worry, Aikka won't be too much in his corner of woe for long, there's gonna be a bit of action coming up soon here, hang tight, you guys. I can't say how long it's gonna be for this wait, but I'm looking forward to writing it so I should be working on it when I get the chances to. Plus, I'm turning in an app for Sonic, so, who knows, the next time you see me, I could be a working catgirl! .:crosses fingers:.

Next chapter: Eva's had time to think on this princess business, and she's suddenly become determined to ask Aikka about her relation to him. Aikka's just as determined to tell her the truth. But even the simplest conversations are the hardest to initiate…Throw in an errand into the city, and both parties are easily distracted into silence. And will a conversation with a love-struck boy make Aikka realize and have the courage to say what he really wants to say to Eva? Will he even be able to do it when the group is very rudely interrupted out on their little mission?


	16. No Matter What

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Hey! Lulz, I managed to just barely beat a month mark this time…I think. Anyway, you guys are in for a treat this chapter, and at the same time I believe some of you may end up wanting to kill me….:Shifty Eyes:. It's nothing…Nothing at all… .:throws Jelly Bunnies at everyone to distract them:.

Just a couple of notes…Firstly, I'm in college now!! I'm going for my Associates in Art! X3 It's just a wee community college, but still, I'm excited to be doing something during the day again. And some serious drawing, too. I'm in Figure Drawing, American History(a history course is required, otherwise I wouldn't bother :o ) Ethics and German. W00t! Though, needless to say, that will provide more distraction from my fanfiction, but bear with me, please, it's college, it's my future :P Secondly, Writer's block is a b----…I had a terrible bout of it partway through this chapter, but after I got over the transition part, the rest of it came so easily. Thirdly…I HATE my computer now. It's official, I totally hate it. To get this chapter up, I had to badger it into getting to Gaia, where I PMed this chapter to myself, because it apparently didn't want to login to my FF account…To not say anything of the problems I was having with Word. .:glares:. Augh, and for a second, I'd even thought it'd deleted a long stint of writing…Thank the gods it didn't.

Disclaimer: I don't own Oban, if I did, I'd not be here on I'd be in the studio working on the actual sequel:D (Hint hint, Savin! We love you:3 )

_Spellcaster Hikaru:_ .:glomps:. You know me and my fandom too well, Hikaru-chan! Yes, it is a Lord of the Rings reference, I forgot to mention it in the Author's note…Oh, yeah, I should totally work on that ironic Jordan picture! .:whips out a list long enough to reach the floor, pencils it in:. Right-o, it's on my list. A long list it is…I need to get started on my Shojo Beat contest entry! .:Flails about like Tohru-chan:. It's due on the 27th:0

_Shrouded View:_ I'm sure you've seen the description that I put on her on DeviantArt, right? Yeah, it's basically that there are different regions in Nourasia, and there are several royal families that rule over some of these regions, though none hold as much power as Aikka's does.

_Wild Child 15:_ Sugar highs, those are fun times. Ah, those two really are meant to be, aren't they? X3 And I'll be keeping an eye out for your story, hope everything goes alright with it!

_Whitehitsugaya:_ I'm very glad she's going over so well. It should be interesting how she ties into the story and Molly and Aikka's romance, ne?

_Aisha12894:_ Yay, I like your username, Aisha Clan Clan rocks:D I love Love triangles :3 It was one of my favorite things about the series to begins with! Only this time Aikka's the center .:Shifty eyes:. No Almene in this chapter, but we'll be seeing her soon, and see how she interacts in the triangle :)

_Crystal Persian:_ Here you go, sorry for the wait!

_DramaQueen of the Moon: _ Glad you like it! And yep, Janni's protective of Molly, just like her brother! X3

_Fushica:_ Lol, go easy on her…XD And yes, sad line, but true T.T

_IchikoKitsuneKoumori: _Thanks so much:3 And yeah, I'm not really sure when I connected the Sending from FFX to Nourasia, but it fit so naturally. And yes, the Princess:D We haven't heard the last of her!

_Thechickenlittle:_ Yeah, it should be a rather interesting relationship all around, I look forward to writing more of it. Glad you like Almene, and thanks for the review:3

_Goldenrider:_ I agree! What's a story without some twists along the way?

_Galonicandragon: _I'm sorry about the lateness recently, but life just has it's ways of getting in the way of things…Life and crappy computers…

_Keyda841: _lol, have faith in our favorite couple! X3 Stay tuned and see what happens, I do hope you like it!

_RedMageSalyre: _Glad it's working so well. And don't worry, my lateness is probably worse! .:sweatdrop:. The ceremony was one of my favorite parts to write, too, and I'm actually going to be doing a picture for it, a request from Shrouded View! I don't know how soon I'll get it, but it's on my list! And I totally agree about the fiancée thing, that's just how royalty works, really.

_Seaki Nerah: _Aww, thank you! .:bows:. I still wouldn't say I'm the best though….:blushes:. And we'll see how Aikka handles things this chapter, perhaps! ;)

_Daemon Chick: _Here you go, thanks for waiting and reading!

_OSR4ever: _Thanks, here's my update, sorry about the wait.

_IchigoNekoKun: _LOL, poor, poor Jordy. I'm sure Janni will tell him that second part of the code… after he gets a bit roughed up :D I'm sure she's amused.

_Heather547: _Thanks for the review, here's an update for you!

**--**

**-Chapter 16-**

**No Matter What**

**--**

It seems that Nourasia is a very peaceful place, even in times of war; this was the new Avatar's conclusion. Even with a fleet of Crogs hovering within striking distance of their planet, life continued on, mostly as it normally did. Repairs were made to damage, the fallen were memorialized and guided onto the next stage of life after death...

But mostly, the Nourasians didn't let the fear get to them. This had to be one of the essences of their people; they were strong, confident, even if put to face-to-face battle, the Crogs would be the more likely winner. They all seemed to support one another in these types of times, the kingdom was obviously quite close-knit. Watching them carry on, help each other with repairs on the broken city, even laugh with one another, one would hardly guess that they were really, in a matter of speaking, a press of a button away from another attack.

But to say that the fear wasn't still imminent, more importantly, that the threat wasn't still imminent, would be a mistake. The Nourasians knew, the Avatar knew; the Crogs weren't done yet. How could they be? With only moderate damage to the royal city, Kross's loss not yet avenged on either front, Nourasia or Earth. The Crogs would deem themselves lowly cowards were they to leave their business unfinished.

No, the Avatar knew, the Crogs were biding their time. It wasn't so much a question of if they would once more attack Nourasia, Aikka, and Eva, but a matter of when. Behind the leader of Kross, their leader who'd miraculously survived the last race of Oban, a feat that earned him great respects despite the fact that he was outdone by a human(which they even began classifying as a fluke on Eva's part...), the Crogs waited, staring down though Kross's one uninjured eye at the supposedly pitiful, primitive little planet known as Nourasia.

"General Kross, sir," One Crog officer announced himself dutifully, standing rigidly at attention before a Kross, who was staring out onto the waters and lands that Sekai and Sera had created long long ago. "The warships that have returned from Earth have been properly resupplied. We are awaiting your next order."

"Very good..." Kross sneered at Nourasia, recalling the report that had come yesterday, and not to his surprise; his officers he'd sent to capture a certain 'Molly' of Earth, reported having seen none other than Prince Aikka, actually preventing them from attaining their goal. They'd lost the girl and the prince when they'd made it to that Earthen track, and there was no doubt in Kross's mind, that the girl was now wherever the prince was. He'd actually almost expected the prince to be dead, before he'd recieved word from the Earth attack, given the information that Toros had supplied to him, the would-be mortal wound he'd inflicted on the prince. Though, he wasn't surprised at all, the prince's precious 'princess' probably helped him to stay alive once they were reunited. Which, for the moment, was alright with the General, as he himself wanted the satisfaction of teaching the prince his place.

"I have been very forgiving of yours and the other's failure to retrieve the human, but you must understand your mistake and make up for it." Kross said coldly to the smaller Crog, who shrunk slightly as Kross turned a narrowed eye to him. "Luckily, I do believe we can manage this."

The smaller Crog was obediently silent as Kross turned fully from the window of their space craft. He heard the faint sound of mechanical joints as Kross raised a vast hand, flexing it as he watched it work. Glaring at the hand with malice in his one eye, Kross growled.

"That human brat will pay..."

With that, Kross's hand formed into a fist.

--

Janni Wilde sighed lazily, thinking that her personal hand gun could not be any cleaner as she broke out of a trance. Staring out over the first plain of the racing canyons, the 'bleachers' below her and listening to the sound of mechanical tinkering as Stan, Koji and Eva inspected the Phantom's damage, Janni let her hand sink slowly, her gun glinting with a flash of red from the sun. What else had she been thinking about, other than the persistent subject of Aikka's marital status?

It was hard to think of other things, when her best friend was falling for the possibly engaged prince...and they hadn't seen either the prince or the princess since the matter came up. Janni almost had half a mind to just ask Canaan or Takai straight out, for better or worse, but then again, asking Canaan may not herald a merciful answer. And Takai, she just hadn't seen for a while either. But, looking at a pair of dark brown eyes reflecting in her gleaming gun, inspecting her obsessive work on the thing, she tried to convince herself to stay out of the subject; that this was in Eva's control now. Hers and the prince's...

"If I may ask, what exactly is that thing?" A familiar voice sounded behind her, as smooth as Aikka's but deeper. Turning, she saw Takai standing above her, an odd look of curiosity in his eyes. She grinned amusedly, and patted the stone ledge next to her, motioning for him to sit down. He obliged, folding his legs underneath him and sitting up straight, a posture reminiscent to Janni of the Japanese back home on Earth.

"It's a gun. A laser gun, to be exact." Janni explained, at which Takai nodded.

"How does it work?" he asked. Though his question was honest, Janni worked to keep herself from laughing. Instead she simply held out the gun as if she were aiming to shoot the opposite wall of the canyon.

"Simple, just aim and shoot," Janni said, grinning evilly at her would-be target. Looking back at Takai, she shrugged. "That's all there is to it, really."

"Hmm, but this is a much smaller version than the Crogs use..." he said obviously. Janni nodded.

"Well, this is just a compact version. Easier to carry around with you." She explained. "And let's face it, the Crogs are showboats, they like to gloat any way they possibly can!" Takai gave a laugh, and Janni actually smiled, finding that it was a nice sound.

"I can't disagree with that!" He said amusedly. "But may I see it?" He asked, almost childlike. Janni laughed slightly, but nodded.

"Sure, just don't hurt yourself," She said, placing the weapon into his waiting hand, watching it sink with the weight of the metal. Takai's eyes widened slightly at the feel of steel as his hand wrapped around the handle as he'd seen Janni using it. Aiming it towards the same cliff, Janni watched with a knowing grin as Takai pressed in the trigger, his eyes shutting halfway in anticipation for the foreign firearm to shoot, but then immediately looked puzzled as nothing happened.

"It's...not working," Takai observed, looking from the gun to Janni. "Did I do something wrong to it?" He looked genuinely worried and apologetic, but Janni still burst out into laughter.

"No, no…The safety was on! You always...put the safety on when you clean your guns...!" She said between attacks of laughter, bewildering Takai even more. His tan cheeks darkened as he realized he'd just been fooled by the human girl, and he swiftly returned the gun to her hand and looked away. Janni then caught on as soon as the cold metal touched her hand, and stopped laughing.

"Oh, wait, you're not mad, are you?" She asked, a deep flush coming to her own cheeks as she leaned towards him. "I-I didn't mean it like that, I mean, it was just a little joke!"

He still did not look back at her, aside from moving his brown eyes to put her in his peripheral vision. This was mainly a precraution in case the temperature in his cheeks proved to be present in color as well. He couldn't say he was mad, in fact, hearing the human girl laugh, it was almost infectious...

Janni, though, could then tell that he was just more or less, sulking as of now, and unseen to Takai, grinned. She decided that surprising him was a fun thing to do when left on her own in a strange world, and decided to plow on.

"Huh, and I was hoping you could show me how to use a bow..." She said disappointedly. To her delight, this brought Takai out of his wayward staring, his brown eyes wide.

"You...wish to use a bow? You want me to teach you?" Takai asked her, raising an eyebrow. Janni smiled and leaned back onto the heels of her palms.

"Yeah, it's always looked pretty cool, gunning is awesome and everything but I wanna try something different, you know? It takes a lot more skill to shoot a bow than to pull a trigger...Maybe it'd even help improve my aim in general!" Janni said to an intently listening Takai. "And what better place to learn it then Nourasia, right? Only I don't know anyone than you and Aikka...and let's face it, Aikka'd rather teach Eva, if anyone!" She finished with a laugh. Takai raised both his eyebrows at this, but had to agree.

"Yes, I can see where that may be a problem," Takai said. "But I suppose if you are serious, I could be your teacher..."

"Really? You're serious?" Janni lit up, leaning off her hands and towards the Nourasian. She didn't even happen to notice the slight blush spreading on her cheeks. "That's great! I'll be a good student, I swear!"

Takai smiled as she exclaimed her eagerness, raising a fist in determination. Setting one hand on his hip, he grinned down at her.

"Very well, we'll start tomorrow, then," he told her, taking a liking to watching the light in her dark eyes get brighter and brighter. "Just don't be surprised if I hand you a rigged bow, at least then we'd be even."

Janni blinked a couple of times at this, but then, at his playful grin, realized that it had been Takai's take at humor. She burst out laughing and gave him a play-shove on the arm.

"See, I knew you weren't a total stiff!" she continued laughing.

Takai looked at the girl, still finding himself confused by her unusual behavior, but somehow found himself surrendering a small bout of laughter as well. He even surprised himself by mimicking her playful gesture and lightly pushing her back. Footsteps sounded behind them as their laughter began to fade, and a familiar voice called them back to reality.

"Am I interupting anything?" Aikka asked from above them, a tilted smile at seeing the two interacting so freely. He almost felt a longing to have that for himself and Eva again, it seemed like so long ago that they'd last laughed together...

"Nope, not a thing," Janni said cheerfully as she got to her feet, sticking her gun in the back of her belt again. Takai soon joined them, and looked at the prince inquisitively.

"Is there anything you need, Aikka?" Takai asked dutifully, while Janni felt herself fade just slightly into the background of things. Aikka then recalled the reason he was talking to them, and resumed his business-like face.

"Well, you recall that the knighthood is doing the city errands today? I have consulted my parents, and they've consented," he looked at Janni. "That Lady Janni and Lady Eva can come with us, to help out, and to see more of the culture and the city. The Crogs are holding their lines, so my father deems it safe enough."

Janni made a noise of disbelief, and stared wide-eyed at the prince, while Takai nodded. Aikka could tell that Janni hardly believed him, so he continued on.

"I know, it seems hard to believe, but there is the shield over the city, and the fact that the Crog fleets are currently on the other side of the planet right now, to consider." Aikka smiled. "And Eva will have three guardians with her, and we will be using cloaks to keep a lower profile. There's really little to worry about." Aikka assured her.

Janni slowly nodded, and then caught sight of Eva making her way towards them. Stan and Koji were seen in the background continuing maintainence of the Phantom. Even Rick seemed to be sitting off to the side, watching the Nourasian boys and the human girl with a knowing little grin on his face as they all converged. Janni felt a little pinprick of nervousness, looking at Rick, he was looking at her too, in the same knowing way he looked upon Aikka and Eva. She didn't need to see past the glasses to see that. Scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, the gunner turned back to the group.

"So, when do we leave?" Eva was just eagerly asking the prince. Apparently she'd already heard the news before Janni had.

Aikka only looked at her with a smile that showed both signs of happiness, and of a vague sadness. It seemed that only Janni happened to notice this, and took it to note for later contemplation, as the group headed back towards the bridgeway to the palace.

--

Going through the streets of Daalan, one could hardly tell that there was a war going on, if they weren't properly informed of recent events. Aside from damages that were being busily repaired by the knights of Nourasia, the city bore hardly the image of a war torn civilization. People milled about, not with worry or fear, but with cheer and laughter.

Perhaps it was just their desensitization to the Crogs' presence that made this so, but either way, it did Eva good to see the people carrying on, to see children able to play out in the streets as she, Janni, Takai and the prince passed by.

The hoods, of course, didn't prevent their human traits from being obvious, and many stopped to greet them, along with the prince, recognizing them as the humans who had been referred to during the Sending ceremony just the other night. Eva's worries about being accepted by Aikka's people began to dwindle fast as the afternoon progressed.

Meanwhile, the prince and his troupe helped wherever the help was needed, repairing the wooden and sometimes stone structures that had been victimized in the Crogs' attack, much as they'd seen other knights do on their way. Keeping to the idea of keeping a lower profile, they were currently working in the less-crowded, side streets of Daalan, which also happened to be where the damage was the lightest.

As they set out again after helping a small Nourasian family with their torn roof, the group set out again. Aikka and Eva took the lead, with Takai and Janni bringing up the rear, involved in casual conversation, most often on the discussion and sometimes debate of long-range weapons of choice. Eva grinned at the fact that the two had found something in common to talk about, but then faded as she remembered her own predicament with the prince next to her. The silence between them, to an outsider, would look pleasant and comfortable, but in both Nourasian and human, there were bubbling feelings of anxiousness over the same silence.

Eva reflected, under the crimson star and soft red-white clouds dotting the sky, that she'd fully intended to, somewhere during the day, get the prince to talk to her, to ask him about Almene. But so far she'd been silent about the subject that she'd been pondering over against her will the previous night, and working had distracted her quite efficiently. Besides all that, just trying to form the words was one of the hardest things she'd tried to do in a while.

Aikka, similarly, was still trying to figure out how to exactly how to bring it up and tell Eva about his engagement lightly, along with when he should do so. It wouldn't do to just mention it out of the blue, he had to have her in a serious setting, and he'd actually rather take care of it without the company of Takai and Janni; this was between himself and Eva, and she had to know that despite this engagement hanging over his head, that he did care about her. Of all the times to be a prince, this was one of the hardest.

The ache in his chest at this haunting thought was drawn away from Aikka's attention, however, when a middle-aged Nourasian woman, holding a bundled child, came from the side of the road where the Crogs' marks were only slight on her house. Despite the fact that her house seemed nearly perfect condition, the woman looked positively frantic with worry.

"Prince, Prince Aikka, what a relief!" she said, bowing before the group. "I'm in need of help, please!"

"Yes, Lady Juni, you'd like help with your wall?" Aikka suggested politely, bowing back. The woman actually vigorously shook her head, a frown set into her face.

"No, no, that can be easily taken care of, I won't bother you and your group with that…" She said, giving passing glances to the others, only barely taking notice of the two human girls. "You know my son, Taaku, he is missing!"

Aikka stiffened slightly at this, while Eva glanced between him and the woman. Aikka knew this boy?

"When did you last see him?" Aikka asked.

"Just this morning, but I called him for the mid-day meal, and he was gone!" Juni panicked. She suddenly looked as though she recalled something, and looked at Aikka with wide eyes.

"The forest, he may be in the forest, he has a friend, on the other side…He's said many times since the attacks that he's worried about her!" She said, pointing off towards a stretch of the Nourasian forest that, sure enough had reached from the edge of Daalan and into the vast city. "The way through the forest is the quickest way to get to her house! I would go myself, but, my youngest needs me here…" She said, giving a loving but worried glance at the baby in her arms.

"Don't worry, I'll do what I can to find him." Aikka nodded, and turned to the others. Takai, Janni, why don't you stay and help Lady Juni with her repairs while Molly and I go look in the forest?"

"No way, Princey, wherever Eva goes, I go. Avatar's orders." Janni immediately said, clutching her brother's dog tags in her hand. Aikka sighed at her stubbornness, but Takai cut in.

"It's alright, I can handle it alone. You three go on." The knight said, meeting Janni's eyes last, and giving a smile to her. Janni hesitated just for a second at this gesture, but straightened herself out, clearing her throat.

"So, let's go find Taaku, already!" She said cheerily. Juni couldn't keep from smiling at the bunch.

"Thank you so much, I'm sorry for inconveniencing you like this," She gave a deep a bow as the cooing baby in her arms would allow.

"It is no trouble, we will return soon." Aikka said kindly, returning a bow.

Reaching the edge of the forest in no time, Aikka led them in by way of a curving dirt pathway into the forest of violet. Soon enough, they were far enough into the rough forest route that all sounds of the city around them were lost, that it was nearly wilderness, were it not for path markers of swirling bronze wood on the side of the 'road'. In here the trees were wilder, more so than what little Eva had been able to see before then, anyway. Their trunks were formed of several winding pieces, and she was sure there were similar things on Earth. Looking up, the branches from all the trees almost seemed to weave and wind with each other, sometimes until you could not tell where one branch ended and another began. And all throughout, crimson beams of light poured into the thick woods.

The scenery actually had Eva and Janni quite occupied for a while but eventually the silence was broken.

"So who exactly is this kid, and how do you know him?" Janni asked Aikka, who strode on the opposite side of Eva. Eva then glanced sideways at Aikka, curious herself.

"Taaku is a boy, who is training to become a knight. I personally know him because, aside from knighthood, he is quite enthusiastic about racing and beetles. He even has one of his own, up at the stables. He actually visits and trains quite frequently so the two of them can obtain a bond such as the one G'dar and I have." Aikka explained, leading them a bit downhill where the path was rougher and a bit more jagged than it had been.

Aikka suddenly stopped, his long ears adjusting to the sounds of the clearing. Glancing around silently, Eva took note of the clearing here. A large cliff of stone bordered the north western part of the place, near where they'd just come in, even a creek ran through the valley of a clearing. Purple leaved trees still bordered on all the other sides, but the branches seemed more 'normal' here and didn't wind and tangle together as much. Although, they were still rather thick.

Aikka was currently staring up through the branches, and suddenly smiled.

"Taaku! Come down here," Aikka called up to the trees, and sure enough, there was soon some rustling, a bit of purple leaves raining down on their heads, before a figure dropped nimbly from the trees.

"Prince Aikka!" the boy said, straightening himself up, only coming up in height to Eva's chest and looking only about nine or ten, by human time. He had the same sandy brown hair as his mother did, and large green eyes that seemed to pierce whatever they looked at.

"What were you doing up there?" Aikka asked, with a raised eyebrow as Taaku brushed himself off.

"I was hiding, what else?" He responded evenly. "I heard noises…I didn't know what it was, but it sounded big…Then you guys showed up!" He said cheerfully. "You two are the humans that the king was talking about, weren't you?" He said admirably to Janni and Eva. Janni and Eva nodded, only blushing slightly; they were beginning to be desensitized to the surprise of being revered as heroes.

"Anyway, what in the name of the spirits are you doing out here alone, without telling your mother, no less?" Aikka asked, sounding the part of a worried, scolding father. "Your mother was so worried when we reached your house!"

Taaku looked away, part ashamed, part wanting desperately to prove his point. He turned out of his wayward pouting, to exclaim to the prince his case.

"But I have to see her! I have to make sure she's safe!" Fiery green eyes faced all three of the others, while a light pink touched his cheeks on top of the Nourasian tan of his skin.

"See who?" Eva asked curiously, coming to a knee to be on the level with him. The boy blushed a little more, and looked downward.

"Kisara. She's my best friend…and I…" He stopped, the words dying in his throat out of sheer timidity. "I gotta tell her that I…"

Aikka felt his eyes widen; he suddenly had a distinct idea of what Taaku was trying to say.

"That you what?" Eva asked Taaku quietly.

"That…" Taaku hesitated, looking at Eva's crimson eyes. "That I love her!" he said hoarsely, the blush on his cheeks only increasing. "I have to tell her…"

"Well, can't that wait? Aikka's right, your mother is worried sick!" Janni put in.

"No! I have to go now, if it's not too late…Before something else happens, before we're attacked again!" Taaku cried in objection. "I don't even know if she's ok!"

"What do you mean, if it's not too late?" Eva asked gently. Taaku looked away, it was evident that the boy was holding back tears.

"I haven't heard from her since before the Crogs attacked us. And then I didn't see her at the Sending…" Taaku said, evidently becoming more worried the more he thought and spoke of it. "She could be hurt, or…" he trailed off.

"You…You'd want to know if someone loved you before something happened to you, right?" Taaku asked Eva quietly. "If you loved someone, you'd want to know if they loved you back before it was too late, wouldn't you?"

At this Eva was dumbstruck, and Aikka watched on as if it were happening on a screen in front of him; a scene he could see but not touch. As if he were stuck from interacting with it.

"Wouldn't you want to know, no matter what?" Taaku's voice sounded distant not only to Aikka, but to Eva as well. This question burrowed deeper than the others had, and she had to keep a strong hold on herself to keep from delving into dark thoughts surrounding Aikka's possible engagement as she stared back at Taaku. Aikka, meanwhile, felt the breath in his chest freeze, as if the next words to come out of Eva's mouth were the most important of his life. Eva glanced down at the ground, in thought, for just a second.

"You know what, I would," She said softly, crimson eyes meeting up with green again. Aikka didn't know what to do with this information, and stood stoicly to the side where he'd been, watching the scene on the screen before him.

"But I also wouldn't want the person I love to be out, possibly putting themselves in danger in times like this like you are." Eva said jokingly, setting her hands on her hips. Taaku felt slightly more at ease, and crossed his arms.

"Huh, I can take care of myself, human." He gave a little harumph. Eva laughed at this.

"Well, tell you what, maybe if we go back and let your mom know you're ok, maybe we can take you over to Kisara!" Eva suggested. "What do you say to that?" She winked at the boy.

"You'd really do that?" Taaku asked uncertainly. Eva nodded.

"You'd better believe it!" Eva smiled, standing up again. "That is, if that's ok with Aikka," She looked over at the prince, who was still in a wistful daze. Drawing himself out of it, he nodded.

"Great! Then lets get going before the daylight runs out on us!" Eva said enthusiastically. Janni nodded with a laugh for the other girl's sudden knack with children.

"Right, let's get back then!" Janni said, leading the way back up the sloped path. Taaku, catching sight of her handgun sticking out of the back of her belt. Chasing after, spouting questions about it, the boy followed Janni, with Eva close behind, laughing as Janni flustered over the Nourasians' fascination with guns. Aikka began to follow after them all, but the sounds had all but faded out for him.

'Wouldn't you want to know, no matter what?' Taaku's words rang out in his mind, followed by Eva's answer. And no matter which way he looked at it, Aikka found himself with a new perspective on his own problems. Stopping in his tracks, he couldn't help himself, his heart had somehow made up his mind for him. Eva had to know the truth. The whole truth. He wanted her to know.

"Ah…Molly…" His voice came quiet, it was a wonder Eva had heard it, she thought to herself. Watching as Janni and Taaku went on up the slope, Taaku still marveling at the gun, she turned crimson eyes to a rather awkward looking Aikka, standing only a few paces from where he began. His sapphire eyes held a rare nervousness, one that Eva'd never seen there before. Finally, he swallowed his fear, and stepped forward just a few more paces.

"I…need to tell you something." Eva looked at him oddly, before her breath caught. Could this be the talk she'd feared from him?

Taking careful steps down the uneven pathway to come level with him, Eva never took her eyes away from his once. Aikka, similarly, didn't look away. And somehow, he could almost sense the knowing that Eva held for the situation. Perhaps she and Almene had met already?

"I'm listening," Eva said softly, looking up at the prince. The clearing was silent now, save for the running creek. It took Aikka a few seconds to summon the words, as he looked away slightly.

"Eva, I…" the words faded as he set eyes on her again, illuminated by the dull crimson light that reached into the clearing, her eyes reminding him of the Nourasian star. She was completely concentrated on him, and so close, to reach out to her would be to put her into his arms…And before he could stop himself, all words were abandoned and he was leaning in closer.

Eva's eyes had widened significantly; the prince's use of her real name in such private circumstances had surprised her, but this, the prince leaning closer, feeling his hand searching for hers…that was enough to make her heart jump at her throat. She felt her heart increase its rhythm against her chest, her cheeks warming up, but before Aikka's hand enclosed around hers, just as she felt the prince's steady breath against her mouth, it all stopped. All of it ended with the simple sound of snapping twigs, and a deep, malevolent laugh.

"I'm starting to see what you meant when you said your friendship with the Earth team was a 'personal matter', young prince," The cold, hard voice of General Kross sounded behind Aikka.

Eva momentarily felt as if someone had poured ice water all over her as she heard the voice, caught sight of the large shadow that stood some feet behind Aikka. Whirling around and concealing Eva with his whole body, the prince reached for the sword at his hip.

Noticing this move all too easily, Eva objected. As his hand closed aroung the hilt, hers closed around his.

"Aikka, no! What are you doing?!" the girl hissed desperately, as Aikka glanced sideways at her, not taking his main focus off the Crogs standing just yards away.

"Get out of here, Molly. Get Janni and Taaku and run!" he told her back. Eva immediately shook her dual-colored head.

"No, I'm not leaving you alone!" Eva said stubbornly, still keeping a hold on both his sword-seeking hands. The memories of the wounds he'd suffered in the last attack on his people ran threateningly through her mind as she stared him down.

"I'm not asking you, Molly, now get out of here! I will not have you hurt!" Aikka growled back.

"I'm not leaving without you!" Eva's voice elevated, her eyes full of both frustration and fear. Aikka opened his mouth to retort, Kross chose then to make himself known again.

"Let her stay, prince," He said with a cackle, "That way, she can see just what she did to me on Oban!" His one eye narrowed into a slit again, while Eva stiffened, and Aikka turned the rest of his attention to the Crog.

Stepping more into a patch of light, Kross put the emphasis on his right arm, putting it forward. Now Eva could see, along with Aikka, the line that seemed to band his upper arm, jagged and bare, the mark of a scar. The rest of the arm downward seemed to be completely mechanical, including his giant, gauntlet-fitted forearm and hand.

"I may have managed to survive that race with my life in tact, even with my reputation, but you cost me a great deal of time, energy and pain, you worthless human." Kross leered straight past Aikka and into Eva's crimson eyes. "Robotic limbs and biological mass do not mix peacefully, and I intend for you to pay the full price for this!" Kross made a fist with his bionic arm, with the sounds of metallic clinking answering from the joints.

Aikka took a step back, Eva having no choice but to follow suit. Footsteps reached both of their ears, and Eva turned her head to the entrance of the clearing. Sure enough, Janni and Taaku appeared there seconds later.

"Aikka, Eva, you coming or…" Janni called out to them, trailing off as she caught sight of the Crog looming over the two. Her mind jolted for a second, from her brother's memories, this was none other than General Kross himself.

Taaku came just behind her, and looked dumbstruck at the scene. Janni pressed him backwards as she reached behind her for her gun, and running forward a few paces, pointed it at Kross, who looked unperturbed.

"Dammit, Aikka, I thought you said there was a shield over the city!!" Janni yelled at the prince, not taking her eyes off the Crog. Aikka went to reply, but again, Kross beat him to it with a heinous laugh.

"Amazing, how easily your precious shield can fall when just one of your primitive mages is taken out," Kross suggested lazily, turning a sneer to Aikka, who now looked, above all else, appalled. He tried again for his sword, but Eva's hands were still preventing him from unsheathing it.

In this moment, Janni decided to take advantage of the fact that Kross had his eye on Aikka and Eva, and shot a generous round directly at Kross's head. It brought Eva and Aikka out of their fight for his sword, as Kross merely lifted his mechanical gauntlet to effectively block each and every one of Janni's shots. Laser fire ricocheted off the metal, some of it firing straight through the trees, others hitting the dirt and creating little clouds of dust.

"Pitiful." Kross hissed at Janni. "Now let me show you mine."

With that, he extended his arm out, palm facing Janni. Red light began gathering there in the palm of his hand, and his arm seemed to give a technological hum. Eva, knowing, or at least having a guess, at what exactly was happening before her, never wanted to run so much in her life, though she seemed to find herself completely paralyzed there, hands glued to Aikka's. Aikka was in a similar position, and Janni found herself contemplating whether she was staring down a Crog or Death itself.

As the light grew, Kross took full note of surroundings, including the scared little boy in the back of things, too scared to move away from the bottom of the cliff. Just as his gun-hand fired, Kross brought his hand upwards, shooting at, not Janni, but the cliff itself. Janni was dumbstruck at what just happened, meanwhile, Aikka and Eva both gasped as the cliff began to crumble.

"Taaku!!" Eva screamed as the rock rained down, the boy noticing the avalanche above him, but still being too petrified to move. Aikka suddenly felt his hands go free in that instant, and he only vaguely recognized that Eva was pelting off towards the rockslide itself.

"MOLLY!" He suddenly cried as he realized it wasn't a dream after all, as Eva dove under rocks and tackled Taaku to the ground as a massive piece crushed the spot where he'd been standing.

The damage rupturing the cliff was bad enough, though, that they were almost out of harm's way, but not quite. "Un Sekai shalenar!!" A blue orb formed at Aikka's outstretched fingertips, before zooming off, growing by the second, to rest with Eva and Taaku in the middle, protecting them from more rockfall.

"You sonnuva…" Janni turned a glare back at Kross after ensuring that Eva and Taaku had survived, thanks to Aikka's magic orb. She knew pointing her gun at him would be pointless, though, and immediately settled for running to Eva's side.

Aikka finally drew his sword, meanwhile, and shuffled over to set himself directly between Kross and the rubble where Eva, Taaku and Janni were. Kross glared down at the prince in front of him, laughing almost amusedly.

"Perhaps I should really take you out first, Aikka, then my retribution to the human will be all the easier," He said, raising his mechanical gauntlet again, this time the metal shifting around itself to reveal an arm blade, not unlike the ones other of his kind usually equipped. Aikka's eye flashed at the blade that had come out of nowhere, but his attention was mainly focused behind him, where he heard the scuffling of Janni making way through stone to Eva.

"Eva, you ok?" Janni asked frantically, kicking rocks maliciously out of the way and kneeling down to the two. Taaku seemed alright, but still dazed, and above him, Eva had regained herself, but was holding her right forearm.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I…think I landed wrong…" She said through gritted teeth. Crimson eyes then sought out Aikka, finding him and Kross in another stare-down. She was suddenly fearful about who'd make the next move, and when. She only vaguely felt Janni's fingers quickly scanning her wrist and arm, only vaguely felt the pain that coincided with it.

"Well, it's not broken, that's a good thing…Now what the Hell are we going to do?" Janni's eyes narrowed towards the confrontation between Nourasian and Crog. Before anyone could do anything, however, more twigs in the surrounding wood snapped, and in several places, large footfalls could be heard.

Janni hunched closer to Eva as they revealed themselves, two more Crogs stepping out into the open. Aikka gaped at each of them, processing the new information. Looking back, he saw the other three huddled in the rubble, just next to the pathway back to the city.

Repositioning himself to be in front of all of the Crogs instead of just Kross, Aikka yelled over his shoulder.

"Get yourselves out, NOW!" His heart raced, but he knew he just wanted Eva out of this whole mess. "I'll hold them off, all three of you go!!"

Eva of course, opened her mouth to protest leaving him behind as the two Crogs drew swords of their own, stomping up to level with Kross and glaring almost amusedly at the scene before them. Her protests didn't reach far, however, as Janni grabbed her by the cloak and shirt underneath and dragged her along towards the exit.

"We expect you to come back alive, Princey!!" Janni yelled with a near-shaky voice. Eva couldn't believe what she was seeing, the prince fading away as she had no choice but to follow after Janni's stronghold on her clothes.

"No, I'm not leaving him behind!! Aikka!" She shouted, abandoning her injured arm to reach out to the distant prince, who only stood before the Crogs, staring over his shoulder as they left. The Crogs made an advance after the humans on Kross's commands, and Aikka turned his attention to his sword, running a swift hand over the blade, chanting a spell that was lost to Eva's cries. He lifted the sword as the other Crogs ran toward him, but Eva saw no more as the scene was lost to her, due to the twists and slope of the pathway.

"Aikka!!"

--

By the time they reached the edge of the forest, Eva's voice was growing hoarse, her face drenched in tears and sweat. Janni, similarly, was coated in sweat as well, mainly from keeping the stubborn Eva from running back. Taaku was simply mortified at all that happened.

"Why, Why'd we leave him!?" Eva shouted, more tears rolling down her cheeks. "Against three Crogs, what kind of chance could he have alone!? You didn't see what they did to him last time they attacked! You haven't seen the scars!!" She yelled at Janni, who stood, understanding at Eva's anger.

"We were useless in that fight Eva, we would have only been another target for him to protect!" Janni retorted just as loudly as Eva began to shake with a cross of fear and rage. "Let's go get Takai, the knights will do something. If anyone can help him, it's them."

Janni then turned and marched off after Taaku at a hurried pace. Eva whipped her head to look away, glaring at a hapless shrub on the side of the forest. As much as she hated it, Janni was right, they were no use there. Not even Janni's gun had done any good, and Eva herself was of course injured. But leaving the prince behind? Why couldn't they just have all run away together?

"Dammit!!" Eva resisted the urge to scream the profanity at the top of her lungs, and just settled for repeating it a few times more at a more hushed tone.

Looking back at the pathway into the forest, she had half a mind to run back in there. But a terrible throbbing meant that her injury was finally catching up to her as she leaned over, clutching her arm. Cursing her uselessness once more, she stalked off the short distance to Takai and Janni, who were presently herding Taaku's mother back into her house.

"Three Crogs, one the General…This is bad…" Takai was muttering as he slung his bow over his shoulder, and whipped an arrow from his quiver. Chanting a spell and pointing the arrow directly upward, he shot off a blue-blazing arrow. The thing soared into the sky, before stopping high above, a blue orb emanating from it. Beams then shot out from several sides, much like the avatar's symbol on the flying temple had done everytime there was a race. With this motion, there seemed to be a heavy sound that could be felt all the way back into the town, and a collective mood settled on Daalan, one of present fear and apprehension. It was Eva's idea of a Nourasian siren, of sorts.

Takai surveyed the skies impatiently, and within a minute, forms of giant beetles could be seen across the sky, all seeming destined for the same place, the edge of the forest where the alarm had been raised by Takai. Taaku stood staring fearfully at all that was around, no doubt thinking about his friend Kisara, Eva forlornly thought.

"Taaku, here's your first important mission as a Nourasian knight in training;" Takai said urgently, kneeling down to level with Taaku. The boy's green eyes widened significantly, but he made no objection. "Guide Lady Eva and Lady Janni back to the palace. Stop for no one. If you see a Crog, immediately switch courses and send up a flare shot." He said, handing the youth both his bow and quiver. "Stay at the palace until it is deemed safe to come out into the city again, do you understand?"

Taku looked nothing short of overwhelmed at the task, but true to Nourasian form, was determined to not back down and succeed. With a deep bow, he accepted Takai's presentation of arms.

"I will, Master Takai," With that, Takai again stood.

"What about you?" Janni suddenly asked with a shaky voice.

"What else? I go after Aikka." Takai's eyes blazed as he unsheathed both his swords in one liquid movement. He caught Janni's scared look, and tried to smile. "Don't worry, I will return." He looked at the tearstained face of Eva. "With the Prince. That's a promise."

Janni opened her mouth to say more, but nothing came out as Takai sprinted off at alarming speed into the forest. Eva glared at the other girl, now she knew how it felt to be forced to leave someone they loved behind. She thought back to Aikka, the last bit she'd seen of the fight, trying to picture in her mind what would have happened next to ensure Aikka's safety. How would he have next moved the blade to protect himself?

"Come, follow me," Taaku said, still shaky and nervous of his sudden duty, but ready to see it to its end. Eva looked back at the forest once more, and prayed to the spirits of the moons, that she'd be able to see Aikka alive again. That perhaps, that last, near-intimate moment between them, wouldn't be their last.

She momentarily reached the back of her hand up to wipe some moisture from her slightly swollen eyes, and then began after the others under the blue light of the still-swirling signal that Takai had sent up.

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **.:dodges barrage of angry reviewers:. Heh, please don't kill me…I think that's all I have to say…Other than I really love Nourasia's scenery in my head… .:Sparkly eyes:.


	17. The Truth

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-:** Woo, here's a longer chapter than my usual! Sooner than a month too, look at that! This one turned out 21 pages long, and it's finally getting to the part of the story I've been waiting to write for a while now! Finally we got some more fluffies going on! ;) As well a bit of action in this chapter by request of some of the reviews!

Also, I'd like to add that I have a rough idea for where to go with a sequel, which will include my OSR babehs, which you can find on my Deviant Art! So I'll be pondering further on that, as well as going to school… Um, yeah, that's pretty much it, I'm not feeling that talkative in this note! XD

Also, I'm trying something new with this chapter, I'm including some song lyrics that I think really suit the situation and Aikka and Eva's love. And I did not write the song, it belongs to Lifehouse!

_Spellcaster Hikaru:_ .:glomps back:. Hikaruuu! X3 how's your school going? Eight days into mine, and the school had to close because of a bomb threat! Oo They didn't find anything of course, but I got a day off. Me and Aki Yasu had a German quiz too, and a good portion of our homework wasn't done either, so now we got extra time on it! XD lol, that's an amusing image, Kross using the Force…Poor Toros, somehow I see him as being a victim of it… .:gets to work on constructing a new closet for Janni and Takai:. :D Oh, by the way, ADW and DD are back in the RP!

_Dramaqueen of the Moon:_ Indeed, Eva must know the truth! We'll see how it goes, shall we? And yeah, it would be interesting to see Jordy's reaction to his little sister falling for a Nourasian.! XD Glad you like it, hope you like this chapter! ;D

_Sekai Nerah:_ no, I don't think I've been killed yet XD And Takai, bad? Oo I should hope not! Hope I updated quickly enough!

_Whitehitsugaya_: I put in some more action in the beginning of the chapter for ya, hope you like! And my gosh, you're right about that bit! XP Thanks for pointing that out I don't know how I miss stuff like that… XD

_Crazyvegimab_: Thanks, Mab! And I understand about being busy, happens to all of us. I agree, often times the fiancée characters are not that likable…I really like how both she and Takai turned out :) Janni too, of course. I'm glad you like the knighthood, really glad that worked so well. Hope you like this chapter! More fluff and more action! ;)

_Amber_: Hey:D woot! .:Joins Amber with the sparkly eyes:. Ah, cuteness and violence…two of the most awesome things in the world! X3 Glad you like it, here's some more!

_Aisha12894: _ Yep yep, love, it's all around :3 Glad you like!

_IchikoKitsuneKoumori: _Indeed! Kross is a little pain in the butt…or rather a huge one…Oo; Not to worry, though, Aikka will get his two cents in .:shifty eyes:.

_Shrouded View: _Aheh, .:backs into a nice cozy corner while the fans swarm her:. Well, I can't say I didn't see that reaction coming! XD Well, in consolation, you didn't have to wait a month for this bit! Lol… .:drops the chapter and runs:. You shan't be disappointed! Aikka Molly fluffies!

Sangofananime: lol, don't worry, I'm back with more…and Aikka's safe…for now… Lol, I'm just messing around, I wouldn't kill Aikka….Or would I? .:Is shot:. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, glad you like it!

_IchigoNekoKun: _lol, Oh noes, not that song! XD Enjoy the update!

_Isabella of the Night: _lol, and thanks for the well wishes! Nah, I like being evil, but I don't think I'd go that far…I've already tortured Eva soo much… She may just kill me if I killed the prince off!

_Crystal Persian: _Thanks and enjoy:D

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Takai, Janni, Taaku, Kisara and Satis! And I wuv them all! .:huggles:.

**--**

**-Chapter 17-**

**The Truth**

**--**

Aikka's eyes followed Eva as she disappeared up the pathway and behind the purple foliage. It hurt him, really, to see her with such fear, struggling so hard against Janni but it was the only way.

His eyes flashed menacingly back to the Crogs, now charging towards him.

"Retrieve the dark-haired girl, alive! Kill the other and the child!" Kross growled to the two others, and Aikka quickly brought his blade forth, running a flat palm along the cold metal of the blade, hilt to tip, leaving it blue in arcane energy as he went.

"_Un Sekai tera kuratar!!"_ He growled, swinging the sword in an arc in front of him. Though the arc of the sword itself was not near far-reaching enough to reach or cut the Crogs, it sent a sort of blue wave off in its stead, causing the two officers to flinch and raise their own swords in defense. The creatures were perturbed by this, to Aikka's satisfaction, but their orders made them drone on. Unfortunately for them, Aikka was already into his next spell.

"_Un Sekai Ubara!"_ His hands together in front of him, with his sword inserted between them, began to glow blue, before a great orb formed around the prince. He glared at the Crogs with eyes that even pierced through the blue glow around him, and the orb exploded forth, blasting into Kross's underlings, knocking them several yards backwards. It even reached Kross, but the larger male was not so easily offset.

"If you want Molly, you must kill me first!!" Aikka shouted at them all. Kross just gave an amused laugh, but allowed the other Crogs to do the task of knocking the prince out of commission.

It seemed as though the orb's passing had created a windstorm in the clearing, leaves rustled all around, dust swirled on the outskirts of the battleground. It rippled through Aikka's shoulder length hair, and through his clothes, sweeping his cloak wildly around him. Behind the few auburn tendrils that would swirl around his face, blue eyes blazed with a ferocity that had never been there in the presence of the Crogs.

His heart blazed with the passion for his people, still not safe from the Crogs, the murder of one or more of their best mages…the threat to the one girl he loved, his soul mate…He was sure that Eva was his soul mate, and he was sure that he'd protect her, he'd much rather die than let Kross or any other Crog get their hands on her. He was here now, and his main objective was to let Kross know just how much he really, truly hated him.

The Crogs promptly got to their feet, and marched over to Aikka, bent on destroying him first, or in the least knocking him out of the fight; he was sure that Kross didn't really want to kill him yet, that would be letting him off too easy, for all he 'betrayed' him and his race during Oban. No, logic told Aikka that Kross truly wanted him to suffer. And the best way to do that? Make him very aware of Eva being captured, and then extracting whatever revenge he had planned for her. Aikka knew that had to be it, they knew his strongest weak point now. Up until now the Crog had taunted him about it, even lost his temper and threatened to kill him first, but Aikka somehow knew better.

And by the spirits, he wasn't going to let either option happen. To die or to be captured would be to fail Eva. Fail the one he loved.

Aikka leapt to each side as the Crogs barreled, sword first, towards him, nimbly avoiding each with as much precision as one of his arrows. Jumping with a flip as one of the blades came back, he landed beyond them, stripping his cloak and chanting the blade arc spell again, waved the blue light towards the unprepared Crogs, knocking one to the ground, leaving the other to flinch and defend himself, before charging all out at the prince.

This caught Aikka off guard, and he found himself watching the Crog's bladeless hand rise, already putting him in range of the creatures vast arm length. Aikka leapt out of the way, but it was not soon enough; he found himself hurtling through the air, breath knocked out of him, chest already aching. He slid in the dirt and grass until being stopped by a pile of rubble that was once part of the cliff.

He quickly pulled himself to his knees, doubling over and coughing, almost afraid he'd expel blood. A hand grasped his stomach and his chest, and Aikka knew if there weren't broken ribs in the least, the area would become a large bruise, to say nothing of his back, which had just collided with rock. Glaring at the Crog who'd assaulted him, he leapt up, his sword beared and ready. The Crog laughed as he approached again. Aikka's eyes widened, he hadn't even regained his breath and the fight was at his feet again.

"I'll admit, prince, you're rather tenacious!" The official sneered, "But unfortunately it will be your downfall!"

Aikka quickly took in breath in a slightly pained gasp, ready to chant a spell, while the Crog already had his blade raised; Aikka suddenly feared for his life, as he felt air scratching in his throat. He knew he had to dodge the attack again; it would hurt, but he wouldn't be able to summon the words fast enough.

Suddenly, the Crog tensed, making a short gasping sound, and Aikka, still gasping in air, saw blue, along with a dark tan hand grasping one of the long black ears, allowing the owner to stay on the Crog's back, their sword pressed deep into the black mass that was the Crog's shoulder. The Crog's eyes were wide, yellow circles at this point, and Aikka straightened up, staring as the blue blade seemed to rip itself out of the Crog's shoulder, bringing a small river of blood with it.

Without any warning, Aikka's attacker reached around behind him, grabbing the ankle of the Nourasian on his back, dragging him around, tossing him in one swift movement to the side, the futile annoyance that he was.

"Takai!" Aikka shouted, seeing his friend and guardian flying over and into the dirt, skidding on his hands and knees, sword being lost to his flight. Before he could run to him, his opponent raised a rock hard fist.

Aikka stumbled into a dodge, but finally managed to form a coherent prayer.

"_Un Sekai nara ketah!"_ His blade now glowed blue again, but it didn't send out a wave like before, rather it surrounded the metal like a flame, as he brought it forth, running it through the Crog armor as if it were butter, and into the actual flesh of the creature. Bringing a leg up, Aikka kicked the Crog in the stomach, both to remove his sword from his chest and to push the larger being backwards and consequently to the ground.

Aikka stared at the mass now bleeding in the dirt, his yellow eyes fighting to stay open. Aikka felt the blood on his clothes make his tunic heavier, as he ran to check on Takai, who was pulling himself up already.

"Aikka, if you insist on staying behind to play the hero, I do hope you have a plan!" Takai said, half-jokingly as he stood, sword already poised, the other Crog officer making his way over to them. Aikka merely coughed a laugh, gripping his aching chest.

"No, actually I thought you might have one," Aikka replied slyly, as the two combined their front.

"Here's one;" Takai muttered as the two of them marched forth, their pace, swords raised and blazing blue once more, before they both charged. "_Don't die_!" Aikka grinned; like he planned to leave this world before seeing Eva again.

Two forces met, and blood was spilt.

--

"Lady Eva, is there anything I can get for you?"

The voice seemed distant to Eva, as did everything else. Peering out into the rest of the wide room that was the infirmary, it was like looking at a different world, one hidden behind a veil of fog. The nurse leaning over her bed slowly came into focus in her crimson eyes.

She shook her head. What she wanted, what she so desperately needed, the nurse couldn't possibly provide. The nurse nodded and receded from her bedside, leaving Eva very alone staring out the window closest to her. The crimson light was growing in a certain brightness that only signified sundown. She didn't recall how long it'd been since she was separated from Aikka, but it felt like several grueling hours.

Her arm was currently bandaged up, feeling better already due to the Nourasians' medicine, but this small ray of light was nearly lost to the rest of her predicament, the dark cloud around her heart. Where was Aikka? Where was Takai? Taunting thoughts like this kept running through her head as her dull red eyes, still swollen from tears, stared around. With one arm she hugged both her knees to her chest, wishing that the Crogs never, ever existed.

"Eva, where are you?!" Don's frantic voice rang into the hospital wing, and Eva's head rose above where she'd set it on top of her knees. That's right, she recalled, Janni had gone some time ago to fetch the others and tell them what happened.

Her father paused only briefly in the door to scan the beds from where he stood, before making a beeline for Eva. Rick soon followed, just as worried, but not making as much of a scene about it, then Stan and Koji filed in, looks of fear etched in their faces.

"Eva, thank goodness, are you hurt? What did those bastards do to you?!" Don wrapped his arms around his listless daughter.

"It wasn't exactly the Crogs who did it, sir," a small voice came from the corner near Eva's bed. Eva and the others then became aware of the small form of Taaku sitting there, Takai's bow and arrows held gently in his hands as he stared down at them. "The only reason Lady Eva is injured is because of me. She risked herself to save my life when I was too cowardly to move…" Taaku's voice began shaking, and Eva became suddenly and acutely aware of others' problems.

"That true Little Mouse?" Rick asked softly, admiring the girl from underneath his shades. She nodded, not taking her eyes off of Taaku.

Suddenly leaping up from his seat on the ground, it became evident that the boy had been silently crying for a while now. "I'm terribly sorry that I've caused her so much trouble, she is a guest and I am a knight in training, I should have been…I should have been more brave…" he said with a broken voice as he sank into a low bow.

Eva didn't even hesitate, tearing off the covers and standing on wary legs to come over to Taaku. The boy looked up as she knelt in front of him, green eyes filled with tears. Those eyes widened as Eva wrapped her arms around him, cradling him as if he were her own child.

"Taaku, don't talk like that. I don't blame you at all." Eva said quietly, feeling the initial shock of her hugging him wear off of the boy. "You're only still a child, you don't have to be brave all the time." She felt his smaller arms slowly return the hug, his shoulders shaking just slightly.

"Well, that explains what happened to Lady Eva, but where is my son?" A deep voice sounded from the doorway. Looking there, the group caught sight of none other than the king and queen.

Don and the others looked at Eva, and she quickly deduced that Janni hadn't exactly told them the whole story. Eva looked at them all, letting Taaku fade away from her arms to bow to his king. She swallowed hard, ready to relay the information, but Janni intervened before she had to bear it.

"He stayed behind. He fought them so we'd have a chance to escape. Takai went after him after sending up a signal." She said, almost defeatedly. The king stared at the girl who'd just spoken. Sighing, he decided her information was trustworthy.

"I don't understand it, my love, I thought you arranged a shield with the mages of the city," Nori observed to the king. The king looked puzzled for an instant, and Eva opened her mouth to give them the bad news about that shield and those mages, however, another voice sounded from the door.

"That would be general Kross's doing, I'm afraid. One or more of our mages have been lost to us…" Aikka's voice came hoarse and exhausted, and the entire occupancy of the room, that is to say the humans, king, queen and a few nurses, turned on the spot. There he stood in the wide doorway, one arm slung around Takai for support, breathing raggedly, and, to Eva's horror, both of them were covered in blood. A collective gasp met this sight, and the nurses rushed to meet him as he and Takai limped in. None were as fast as a certain Earth girl, however.

"Aikka!" Eva cried, running against her father's protests over her injury. Tears reformed in her eyes as she looked at him, and his blue eyes remembered her, and he smiled back at her weakly.

"Eva, I'm so relieved you're alright," he said. Eva scowled.

"Me? What about you?! I didn't ask you to fight them alone!" Eva cried, moisture pouring down her cheeks. "You don't want me to get hurt, well what if I don't want you to get hurt?? Look at you! You're covered in blood!" She cried, while the nurses stood off to the side at a loss of currently what to do. Aikka looked amazed underneath his tired expression, but then smiled.

"It is not mine." He told her, blue eyes glinting mischievously. Eva blinked. "I have some scrapes and bruises, true. But it appears that Crogs bleed red just as much as any of us do." He observed hoarsely. Eva gasped and was about to ask the prince if that was really true, but the Nourasian gave a weakened lurch as Takai made immediately to catch him before he collapsed.

"A-Aikka!" Eva made a move, even with an injured wrist, to help him as well, but the nurses took the princes new shown weakness to step in, guiding his heavy steps towards the nearest bed. Eva could only follow behind and stay out of the way. She watched, still scared, as Aikka seemed to fight to stay conscious. The nurses rushed off to find proper things to take care of him, and Eva leaned over his bed.

"Aikka, I didn't want to leave you back there," She said sadly. Somehow even with what Aikka had said about the blood, it seemed almost as though he were on his deathbed to her. Aikka's pained expression softened and he opened blue eyes to her.

"I know, Earth Princess. But I didn't want…anything more to happen to you. I wouldn't be able to live with that." Aikka told her softly. They suddenly seemed to be the only ones in existence in that room. "I'd do anything for you, Molly." Aikka whispered so low only she'd be able to hear him. He only half knew he was saying all this, that he was now reaching up to shakily cup her cheek.

In the same hushed whisper, he continued, his eyes beginning to tire and sliding steadily shut. "I'm glad I survived their attacks, however…If I hadn't, I'd never have been able to tell you… How much I truly… care about you…" Eva's heart skipped a beat as his eyes finally shut, his arm steadily feel back onto the bed beside him.

"Aikka?" She asked warily. But seeing his chest rising and falling at a once more normal pace, made her breath in relief. She suddenly couldn't help the smile that played across her face, and nor could she stop the blush spreading across her face. Was this what he was going to say to her back in the forest?

"I would not take what my son said to heart, young Eva." The voice of the king said behind her as the nurses flocked around Aikka again with medicines and bandages in their arms. He was suddenly standing just next to her, whereas her own father and the others were off by her bed on the other side of the room, conversing quietly to themselves, letting Eva have her moment with the prince. They all knew she needed it.

"Ah, excuse me? I'm not sure I understand…" Eva said nervously under the king's stern gaze.

"I mean just this; Aikka may have said those things, but even he knows he can not and should not. Be it rebellion or his stubbornness that brought him to say it, nothing can come of what he just said to you." The king said. "Understand, I try not to hurt you, Lady Eva, but Aikka has… responsibilities. You would do well not to become too attached to my son."

Eva suddenly felt dark feeling developing in her gut again as she met the king's gaze. But no, he couldn't mean what she was thinking, Aikka would have told her! Right?

"Sir, do you mean to say...is Prince Aikka…" Eva asked, not bringing herself to finish the dreaded sentence. The king, however, seemed to know what she was thinking and nodded.

"Prince Aikka is indeed—" He was cut off by a cry from the doorway.

"Prince Aikka!" Almene walked as fast as manners and being ladylike would allow, to stand over his bed on the opposite side of Eva and the king. She gave a quick greeting and a bow to the king, before turning her attention back to the resting prince. "I came as quickly as I heard word…"

"He is indeed, engaged." The king finished quietly to Eva, who was now watching Almene, the girl she'd liked, who'd helped them and who was so kind, turn to some sort of competition. And when she thought competition, she herself knew there was practically none; Aikka was engaged, that was that. But what hurt the most was…

"He never told me…" Eva murmured, looking down at the prince, recalling his last words to her. Almene looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Lady Eva! I'm sorry, I did not notice you there," She promptly got up and sank to a bow. "I hope you are enjoying Nourasia?"

Eva looked at Almene only for a second, but didn't respond. Almene then figured out that there was something brewing beneath the human's surface, something like despair. The king then took this opportunity to disappear to elsewhere in the room.

"Lady Eva, are you alright?" Almene asked worriedly, lavender eyes full of concern that Eva couldn't bear to look at. Eva sucked up the tears that were so close to falling, and shrugged the princess off.

"I'm fine. I just need some fresh air…" Eva said flatly. "It was nice seeing you again, princess."

Without another word, Eva ran off, out the door way to the infirmary, and off, neither knowing nor caring where she was going. Don Wei watched it happen, and looked with narrowed eyes towards the king. He knew he must have said something to his daughter, he'd sensed the unease as they were talking over Aikka's bed.

"May I ask, your majesty, what exactly you said to scare my daughter away?" Don asked, approaching the king.

"My son was careless with his words. I was simply warning her not to take him seriously, and…" He gave an indicating look at Aikka, now accompanied by a worried and slightly bewildered Almene. "I do believe she had the right to know the truth about my son, wouldn't you agree?"

Don suddenly understood. After all, Aikka was royalty, this was a possibility he'd been contemplating since he'd seen his daughter looking at Aikka in that rare way. To say he was prepared for it, however, would be a lie. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Don nodded.

"I suppose so." He settled on saying. "However, she did risk her own life to save one of your subjects, I would hope that you show her better respect in light of that."

Meanwhile, the queen had been watching on silently, ever since Eva had learned the truth. She cast a sad look out the window. The other humans around Eva's now empty bed stared from the king and Don to one another, back to the floor. Janni, looking towards a window, found Takai sitting on the edge of another bed, wiping away at his bloody face.

"Disgusting filth," He was heard as muttering as she came closer, in reference to the blood he was cleaning away. She gave a slight laugh as he worked to get the crimson off.

"Some day, huh?" the gunner said quietly, approaching the knight. Takai looked up from behind his moist towel, and smiled darkly. "So…You killed Kross?" Janni asked hopefully, at which Takai's brown eyes faded slightly.

"I wish I could say we did…" he told her as she sat down on the mattress with him. "The other two were not so lucky. One we killed, the other may just have a scar as well as Kross." They both resorted to silence, each silently sending their own curses to the elusive General.

"So it's true, Aikka is engaged." Janni said, breaking the silence a few moments later, after a look at Don and the King, on separate sides of the room, agreeing to disagree about the whole subject of Eva and Aikka. Takai merely nodded. "I told her, when we met Almene…I knew there was something about her."

"Aikka did not tell her?" Takai asked softly, frowning. Janni shook her head, somewhat angrily.

"I warned her but I don't know how she'll really take it. Aikka let her down, she'll have every right to be pissed off with him." Janni growled, clenching her fists in her lap. "If my brother were here…"

Takai looked at her strangely, but settled for shaking his head with a weak smile. There was still much he knew he had to learn about humans, especially this girl. Still, he thought as he scrubbed away some blood from his now sleeveless arms, she had a very endearing quality to her. He'd never seen a girl with more passion than Janni or Eva. He used to be confused on how Aikka had become so fascinated with the human world, but he could tell that he was beginning to see and understand.

"You know…" Takai said quietly as Janni continued to fume. She looked at him questioningly. "Prince Aikka…He really does love her." Takai admitted. Janni stared sideways at him, but softened.

"Before this war I never understood it, his relationship with a human girl called 'Molly,' but now…I can actually see it for myself." Takai said, tossing his bloodstained towel aside. "My father told me little, and he didn't approve of it, but it's different when you actually see it happening. I don't know what Aikka was planning, but I'm sure he never meant to hurt her."

"I…guess…" Janni surrendered to Takai's wisdom, but still stared at Jordan's mark on her wrist. She still wanted to know what her brother would think about this whole situation.

"Still, should you go talk to Eva?" Takai asked uncertainly, leaning off the bed. Janni thought for a few seconds, letting her wrist fall to her side.

"No, I think she needs a little time…Even then…" She cast a look over to Aikka's bed, currently surrounded by curtains so the nurses could inspect him in privacy. "Aikka needs to fix what he's done. He's the real one who needs to talk to her." She stood up off the bed.

"Besides, this place is huge. Other than the guest wing, I don't know where she'd have gone…" Takai nodded at her confused look and got to his feet himself.

"Well, if you aren't occupied, perhaps you could accompany me," Takai suggested. "I must get some food and extra robes for Aikka to change into when he awakens, and I should like to get some new clothes for myself as well…" he told her, holding out some of his shirt and staring disgustedly at the Crog blood. He looked at her again, a bit regretfully this time. "It's not much, but I am afraid our little lesson tomorrow won't be possible…and since I have the time available…I hope it may make up for it." Takai told a confused Janni. She soon regained her bewildered look, and smiled lopsidedly, her tan skin lighting up in pink.

"I'd like that," She said, starting for the door. "I should probably start carrying around my big guns anyway," she said with a wink. Takai was soon to follow after her, and Rick was quick to observe.

"Those Nourasian boys, they sure have a way with the ladies…" He murmured to himself, while Stan and Koji looked knowingly at one another after watching the interaction. Rick turned his head to look at the prince's bed, and now the curtains were being pulled back, revealing the sleeping prince, his dressings changed, covered to the shoulders with a blanket.

"How is he?" Rick asked quietly to one of the passing nurses.

"He is fine and relatively uninjured, just exhausted from the fight. He should wake within the hour," She replied kindly to him. Nodding, Rick took a few paces towards the prince's bedside, where Almene had resumed her post.

'You did it again, kid, you saved the Little Mouse,' Rick thought to Aikka, staring at the prince's sleeping face, still a bit scratched up. 'Still, you're gonna have a mess to clean up when you wake up.' His glance rose to look at Almene beneath his tinted glasses.

With that, he turned, going to find his way back to the guest wing.

--

He remembered the day he met Eva. It seemed like such a fluke meeting at the time, and even then, she was 'the enemy'. Though it took no effort at all for his relationship with her to prove that one thing was true; the old saying that stated 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.'

But it was so much more than that, at least to him. He couldn't have predicted meeting someone like her, let alone at the races, let alone of the human team, whom he was supposed to be fighting, along with the Crogs. She'd been to this day so affected by the Crogs, and it was partially his fault. He never asked for it to happen.

And yet, no matter how he looked at it, he didn't regret that day, that first day of the races when he met her. How could he regret one of the greatest days of his life? His only regret was that he wasn't able to have spent more time with her in the year since then. That he hadn't been able to say what he wanted back in the woods.

He regretted that, as much as he didn't want it to be, he was still betrothed to Almene.

_Desperate for changing _

He recalled the day he'd met Princess Almene, too.

It was only days after he'd returned from Oban, and the high that he'd gotten from defeating Canaletto, from rebelling from the Crogs(who were at the same time receding from his planet, their warships affected by the avatar's crowning) was still strong in his spirit. But more present was the natural high from the fact that he now had a friend, an ally, made from an 'enemy' and with bonds that could not be broken, that had transcended all the adversity the race had brought down on them, transcended their differences in race. That was the best high of all, for once he felt new, and enthusiastic even through the most boring of studies. This girl called Molly, or Eva, rather, as he'd only vaguely found out, she gave him something new to look forward to.

He greatly looked forward to the day he'd be able to honor his promise to her, to reunite with her and show her the kingdom that he'd one day inherit.

And then came the day of his presentation to the princess, the princess he only vaguely remembered from his childhood. A young woman who he barely knew. The day he was presented, was the day both Aikka and Almene's fathers agreed, the engagement was made official.

Some part of Aikka's heart sank that day, he remembered the vague sinking in his stomach as he politely kissed the top of Almene's hand while looking in her lavender eyes. Looking back, Aikka recalled he didn't know why this sinking feeling happened. But hindsight was perfect sight, and he could tell, even back then, even if he didn't know it…

He was in love with Molly.

_Starving for truth_

Drawing in air, Aikka smelled the calm air of the infirmary, the smell of herbs reaching his senses. He could hear scattered, quiet talking. The place wasn't that crowded at all, and the light on the other side of his veil of sleep was dim, like that of the torches. At his touch, he could feel linen cocooning his torso, his arms out from under the blanket, and a hand in his. It was a smaller hand, like that of a girl's.

His eyes began to flutter open, and he was eager to find Eva next to him. Had he finished saying what he wanted before he passed out? He hardly recalled…He slowly turned his heavy head to his right, his sapphire eyes only half open from his drowsiness.

"Molly?" he breathed, the shape of the person holding his hand coming only slowly into focus. The figure jolted, as if they'd been in a daze until he'd spoken, but as his focus sharpened, he noticed, it wasn't Molly who held his hand.

"Prince Aikka! You're awake!" Almene said joyfully, clasping his hand into both of hers. Aikka's eyes widened, and he suddenly felt so much more awake as he stared at her lavender eyes. "Thank the spirits you're alright—Ah, Aikka, you shouldn't rise, you need your rest…!" Almene objected as Aikka pulled his sore body up to a seat in his bed, blue eyes leaving Almene to peer around the vast room that was the hospital wing. He knew what he needed, and Almene was not it…Nor was what he needed there in the room.

"Where is Molly?" Aikka asked, more thinking aloud than anything. Almene went from blushing over seeing her fiancés bare chest to staring confusedly at him.

"Molly?" She asked. "Oh, do you mean Lady Eva?" Her look turned nervous and slightly sad as he turned to look at her again.

"Yes, where is she?" Aikka asked calmly. "I…must speak with her…" he settled on saying, his voice fading. Not even Eva's family was there in the hospital.

"I cannot be sure, when I came in, she was here…but your father said something," She recalled aloud, while Aikka's eyes widened, and he looked off. "She just…ran off after that…"

Aikka stared off, in a haze; what in the world had his father said to her? Eva was still injured, she shouldn't have left the infirmary! Nor was his father or mother around. He didn't get a good feeling about what Eva would have run off for.

So, the prince said nothing as he tore the blankets from his body, ignoring the objections from his stiff limbs and bruised torso as he set his bare feet on the cold stone floor. Looking to his side, he found a pile of fresh clothes next to his bed, brought there sometime before by Takai. Grabbing them, he hastily pulled a sleeveless shirt and a long brown robe that swept around his ankles over the fresh pants that the nurses had given him before.

"Aikka, what…where are you planning to go?" Almene asked cautiously.

"I apologize, Almene," Aikka said with a bow as he swept his robe flat around his form. "Thank you for sitting by me, but…I must find Eva. I have to discuss something with her…" Aikka left it at that as he headed for the hallway, leaving a silent Almene alone in the hospital wing.

"Aikka, what is it that haunts you about her?" Almene asked the newfound silence, a look of sudden thoughtfulness on her face.

_I'm closer to where I started,_

Aikka tore down the hallways of the palace, jarring his brain for where Eva would have gone. Of course, the guest wing had been his first stop, but no one had answered her and Janni's door, and Rick claimed to not know where the girl was. What he did know, though, was what his father had actually said to Eva, and he had even encouraged the prince to find her soon. It was then, Aikka knew, he really did need to find her soon…Though where would be the problem…

Eva knew now, she knew the truth about Almene, and it gave him a bad feeling of guilt that he hadn't been able to tell her the truth himself, worse that his father had been the one to tell her. He had to find her quickly, she may know now the truth about his engagement, but she still didn't know the whole truth, the fact that Almene was not the one who held his heart. There was still a dark voice in the back of his mind that told him it wouldn't do any good to tell her, that perhaps she wouldn't believe him.

"Still," Aikka said to himself, glancing down all the arching doorways on his way away from the guest wing where the humans were situated. He had to tell her. He had to find her.

_Chasing after you._

Eva sat at the edge of the railing, just feet away from the vines of the Athelas plant overtaking the walls and stone railing. Over looking the other terraces below, the gardens, she held to her injured arm, fighting off tears. There was no way she was going to cry, she'd told herself that several times since she'd come here after running from Aikka's father.

The blue light of the moon hung over her, but it suddenly had such a melancholy tone to it. And as she sat there watching her feet dangle over the garden level below, she tried to convince herself not to be so surprised.

"I don't know what I was thinking…" Eva muttered, curling her knees closer to her chest, despite the absence of cold. "Even back home, that's how it is in the fairy tales. The prince marries a princess, and they live happily ever after."

She set her head in the crook of her arm at this last commentary and sighed. A light breeze caught her hair and swept over her as her eyes slunk over the landscape that was quiet and tense with the recent attack. Closing her eyes, she found herself, surprisingly and for the first time in days, wishing that she could just curl up in her bed at home, to get away from these problems. Too bad that had all been destroyed.

"Janni was right, how could I have been so stupid?" She whispered to herself.

"You are not stupid." A voice came behind her, calling her head from its shelter in her arm. "You are one of the cleverest people I know, Molly."

Turning, Eva spotted Aikka, standing straight and in the middle of the doorway, his long robe rippling around his legs. He beheld her knowingly, his crystal eyes dim with guilt and sadness. He took a couple of measured steps towards her, treading lightly as if the stone might crumble beneath him if he stepped wrong. Eva turned her face back to look outwards again.

"Why'd you never tell me you were engaged?" Eva asked, as if in conversation, though her voice was hurt and icy. It was that ice, but more so, that hurt that stung Aikka like a knife so much he almost visibly winced. "Did you think I wouldn't be happy for you?"

_I'm falling even more in love with you, _

"That isn't what I meant to happen. None of this is." Aikka told her. "I had every intention of telling you…Back in the forest…"

"If you were gonna tell me, why'd you try to kiss me?" Eva asked harshly, turning and letting her legs go to dangle over the railing again. Aikka stared at her, before looking off.

"I know I shouldn't have, when I was trying to tell you the truth…" Aikka began awkwardly, before looking at her with meaningful eyes again. "But I do not regret it."

Eva looked oddly at him, before swinging her legs over the balcony railing.

"What about Almene, then?" Eva raised an eyebrow at the prince. He tilted his head in return.

"What about Almene?" Aikka returned the question as he stepped forward.

"What about her? You're marrying her, aren't you?" Eva retorted, hopping down to the floor and making to pass Aikka. "She's a nice girl, you shouldn't talk about her like that." Without making any eye contact with the prince, she strode past him, in a hurry to get away before the tears came.

_Letting go of all I've held on to,_

"That is what you think?" Aikka murmured as she approached, sensing the hurt in her voice, the kind of hurt that expressed loneliness, one's feelings not being returned. Eva paused only for a second before turning to him.

"It's true isn't it?" She said listlessly, before turning away and heading quickly for the doorway. Aikka drew in a sharp breath and made to quickly catch up with her, his sandals scratching the stone floor below him.

"Molly, please, wait!" Aikka pleaded, grabbing Eva around the wrist. Turning around reflexively to retract her hand, Eva caught a desperate look in Aikka's eyes as his other hand grasped her injured side by the shoulder. Both his touches were gentle, and the feeling of her back meeting the wall was lost as she stared, surprised, into Aikka's eyes.

_I'm standing here until you make me move, _

"Please. If you will only let me explain myself…" Aikka whispered, staring down into her eyes over their suddenly evident height difference. Eva could only stare silently up at him, bewildered as to his sudden show of force. Even more puzzling, were Aikka's eyes, which, almost like hers, were glistening, almost as if he too were also on the edge of tears. He looked down, slowly and tilted his head more towards hers, though it wasn't like the move in the woods, he wasn't moving in to kiss her. Crimson eyes followed him as he drew in heavy breath.

"Almene and I…We aren't like that. I am not engaged to her by will or love." Aikka told her. Eva's eyes burned with tears as she looked at him. "I…know I have no right to say this, but…" The one hand that had captured her wrist and pinned it to the wall above Eva's head, moved, gently tracing her skin as he took her hand, clasping it into his own. Eva stared at the movement as his hand held to hers desperately, almost needing.

"If the Spirits would allow me one selfish act in my life, I would will it to be this;" Aikka continued softly. When he opened his blue eyes again, he found Eva's full of tears as a couple beaded down over her star and stripe. He gave another squeeze to her hand, and leaned in farther, their faces only inches away. "I love you, Molly."

Eva let out a quiet gasp, and eased in his grasp. A breeze was the only thing that penetrated their senses as Aikka once more leaned in, tilting his head as he went. The only difference in them both from the moment in the woods was that Eva soon found herself leaning up to meet him. Nothing else seemed to matter other than this one thing. Both felt a rise in anticipation as their lips just brushed, as Aikka paused, wishing to make the moment last as long as he could. Just inches away from each other, crimson eyes met elated crystal ones.

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you._

"Prince Aikka!" Both of their half-lidded eyes snapped open at the sound of Canaan's somewhat distant voice. Aikka glanced off without moving his lips away from Eva; he knew Canaan hadn't actually seen them like this, his voice wasn't near as frantic or angry as it would have been in that case…But he was being sought by his master nonetheless, and by the sounds of it, Canaan was somewhere on the same level of the terrace. If he hadn't seen them yet, he would soon. "Prince Aikka, where are you?" Aikka suddenly felt Eva fade from him, leaning back onto the wall.

"Canaan's looking for you." She stated sadly, looking off. Aikka frowned; there was no way he'd let this moment be interrupted again. "Ah! Aikka?" Eva exclaimed quietly as his hands shifted, as he began with her in tow off to the other side of the terrace, away from Canaan's searching voice.

"Come, you must see my kingdom," Aikka told her, dragging her off towards a very familiar place, using the line he'd last left her with when he left Oban. He could feel her confusion at what he'd said.

"What do you mean? I have seen your kingdom! Aikka??" Eva said confusedly.

The two of them disappeared into a side path to another, mountain scaling patch of woods from the terrace. And watching from another balcony above, a Nourasian girl stared, still shocked, at what she'd just seen. Movement from the vegetation where the prince had just disappeared ceased, only moments before Canaan happened upon the scene.

Almene faded away from the railing, as Canaan began looking around for signs of the prince.

"So that is the truth about you, Prince Aikka?" she asked to the silence as Canaan stalked off, grumbling about the prince's disappearing act. She suddenly smiled, staring up to the blue moon of Sekai. "I see. Now, I understand." She realized, thinking back on her experience with the prince the last few days. She didn't wonder anymore, why he'd been so distant to her, even during their dinner together.

"Treat her kindly, prince," Almene smiled, gliding back towards the door to the palace.

_Forgetting all I'm lacking,_

_Completely incomplete,_

Eva did her best to keep up with the nimble prince, as they headed up a path, one that was forgotten by time, ragged and rough enough to slow anyone who didn't know its direction down. Patches of Athelas also made her cautious not to stray from the path, as she clung to Aikka's one hand. He just kept leading her higher and deeper into the thick Nourasian forest.

"Aikka, where are you taking me?" Eva panted, when it seemed like they had been heading upwards forever. "And I've already seen your kingdom, I don't get it!" Aikka responded with laughter.

"Do not worry, it isn't that far now." He turned in place, turning a smile to her. "And you will see what I mean."

_I'll take your invitation,_

_You take all of me now_

Eva stared with a blush at his sudden smile, but before she did anything in response, they were moving again, up the inclined path. Aikka eventually started to slow, before he spoke up again, his hand squeezing hers gently.

"I often come to this place, as far as I know, I am the only one who knows of it. I found it accidentally when I was quite young," Aikka told her softly, just as the path began to level out. The surrounding vegetation thinned out as well until it finally let into a clearing. It was then that Aikka stopped, but didn't let go of her hand. "This, is the only place I can go to truly escape…everything."

Eva took her eyes off of the prince, to look at the actual clearing. It was quite big, with plenty of thick, winding-trunk trees around, purple foliage spilling indigo light from the glinting moon. Stone rocks lay naturally about, and if he hadn't just told her he'd been there frequently, she'd think that it was completely untouched by anyone. The most capturing feature though, was the view of the night sky, perfectly framed by purple leaves, winding trunks, and an uneven stone floor.

"Now, come see my kingdom," Aikka turned completely to her, leaning towards her and simultaneously tugging her hand towards him. Eva could only stare at him, entranced by his blue eyes, enthusiastic and without the sadness that had been there just earlier. She followed, feeling as if she and him were both floating towards the overlook in a dream.

_I'm living for the only thing I know,_

_I'm running and not quite sure where to go_

Aikka didn't take his eyes from Eva's as he walked, knowing every rock and where it was. His heart beat frantically, he knew she'd love what he was about to show her, he was just dying to see that joy in her eyes again.

"As I was saying, it is about time that I show you my kingdom," He said as he guided her to the edge, waving his free hand over the sight in presentation. Eva gasped the second she took her eyes off of Aikka's.

It seemed as though they'd climbed into the surrounding mountains, because below lay Daalan, she could finally see all of it. As Aikka had told her back on Earth, the city did form to the land, parts of the city crept up the sides of the mountains, and unlike the cities on Earth, the civilization wound around the forests, instead of the other way around. She could even see beyond that, to the surrounding lands, deeper into the valley and past the mountains. Moonlit stretches of free, uninhabited land met her gazes past the reaches of the city gates. Even nearer, there was the palace; they were almost above even that. And on the other side of the palace, in the west, as Aikka had said, lay a glimpse of the canyons from behind the surrounding mountains, which were doused with patches of violet forest.

"Oh my god," Eva gasped, gaping out, and looking at each and every thing for a second time. Her smile spread as she stepped forward carefully, trying not to get too close to the edge. "Aikka…It's…" She turned back to him. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" She said, red eyes gleaming with wonder.

Aikka looked on her fondly, bringing a hand up to stroke her hair affectionately.

_And I don't know what I'm diving into,_

_Just hangin' by a moment here with you. _

"I knew you'd like it," he whispered. He continued to trace through her hair, moving gently down the side of her neck as his expression fell. "I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you the truth."

Eva shuddered slightly from the breeze coming over the overlook. She'd almost forgotten about their previous discussion. But she nodded, knowing this topic had to be cleared from the air, if they were to ever be able to move on. If such a thing were possible now that she knew about Almene and Aikka. Having her feelings reciprocated, that was one thing, a great thing, but it was another to think about if those feelings would be appreciated by the others, their parents in particular.

"If you don't love her, then why are you marrying her?" Eva asked quietly, glancing to him inquiringly. He smirked sadly, his hand brushing away from her.

"Why else? It is an arranged marriage." Aikka stated, traveling a short distance to lean against one of the larger stones. Eva inhaled a bit sharply, blinking at his words. So they had been unwillingly given to each other?

"So your parents decided for you both to be married? How long ago did that happen?" She asked.

"From the time when Almene was young, but do not get the wrong idea," Aikka answered, staring out over Daalan. "She was not so much traded to me for marriage, but promised. True, there are political reasons, traditional ones, but love is also a key value in Nourasian weddings, royal ones included. I am told that my parents were very much in love with each other when they were younger, before they got married, even."

"But, you're not in love with Almene?" Eva asked, relaying the prince's earlier claims. Aikka shook his head.

"No." He said quietly. "From the time we were young, it was our parent's intentions to let the two of us get to know one another, to spend time with each other and develop a friendship with one another…Even for us to fall in love with each other…" Aikka explained. "But the Crogs posed difficulty even in that."

Eva cocked an eye brow at the mention of their enemy, and Aikka sighed. Eva leaned next to Aikka on the stone, and their gazes met briefly.

"They came before I was born, so there was considerable worry over me when I was born, the only heir to the kingdom. Almene and I were both raised protectively, so we were rarely ever able to meet as children, as our parents desired." Aikka looked away from Eva, who remained silent and listening. "We never developed the relationship my parents had in their time. But the engagement went ahead as planned, and as soon as I returned from the race, it was confirmed."

"But even back then, I felt it difficult to learn to accept the engagement, only now I realize it wasn't just from my lack of knowledge of her that made me feel that reluctant…" Aikka said, turning completely to her. "I never loved her, but I loved another." He was once again coming closer to her, and Eva was frozen there by his words.

_There's nothing else to lose,_

_There's nothing else to find,_

"No matter how much I've tried to deny it these last few days, there is no denying it. I'm _through_ denying it." The prince sent a hand to caress her starred cheek. He made a point of looking directly into her eyes. "I love _you_, Molly. No one else."

His hand moved along her jawline, traveling to the back of her neck, where he gently urged her face upward. She responded readily, even eagerly, tilting her head as she rose her blushing face to him. Once more, they got closer and closer, and she could soon feel the prince's breath again, warm and soft against her. She almost half expected some new interruption, it felt too good to be true that they were so close again. But they were indeed completely alone as they let their eyes meet one last time. Her eyes closed lightly as their lips finally met, just touching before they melted into one another. His free hand found her waist and pulled her closer, while both of her hands rose to his shoulders, leaning in agreement to his hold on her.

Aikka pressed only a bit harder onto her lips, desperate for more, but not wanting to move too hastily. But feeling Eva pressing into his body, her lips responding avidly to his, he decided with a blush, to deepen the kiss. Teasing her lips with the tip of his tongue, the Nourasian awaited permission from Eva to enter. Though a bit surprised at his forwardness, his Earth princess was only too ready to comply. He smiled into the kiss as they melded together, wrapping his arm more around her waist, the pure excitement running through his veins being enough to drown out the sensations of her leaning against some of his more formidable bruises in his stomach.

Eva shivered at the sensation of Aikka kissing her, of his tongue slipping into her mouth and mingling with her own. Just as it had when they were walking towards the overlook in the first place, it felt like they were floating together. No longer did they misunderstand each other, everything was out in the open, everything was explained. Janni may have been right, but it didn't matter to Eva. Aikka loved her, and now he was physically showing her…Wait until she told Janni back at the palace!

Back at the palace. What would happen there? What was to happen to their love when they would return? King Lao had made it clear that he intended his son to be wed to Almene. And Aikka and Almene…

Eva suddenly stopped, still in Aikka's grasp, his lips still against hers, still in a hazy world that she'd only dreamed about. As much as she hated it, the haze of this world was suddenly fading, her crimson eyes opened with realization. It only took Aikka half a second to sense her pause, before she faded from the prince's kiss entirely.

_There is nothing in the world,_

"Molly?" Aikka gasped, slightly out of breath from his show of love for her. His eyes looked over her with worry as hers slunk off, once again full of sadness.

"It doesn't matter." Eva whispered, her hands sinking from his shoulders to his chest. "Once we go back, it won't matter that I love you or that you love me…" Aikka was silent for a second.

"What do you mean?" Aikka asked as her hands slipped off of him. Even as they left, he wanted them back.

"Even if you're done denying it, I don't think your father is." She leaned back against the rock again. "And you're still engaged to Almene. And we aren't even of the same race. Be reasonable, they won't want us to be together."

"Molly, if love were a reasonable emotion, I would have fallen in love with Almene," Aikka retorted, bracing an arm on the rock in the direction she was looking off in. Gently taking her chin with his fingers, he drew her gaze back to him. "When I say I'm done denying it, I'm done denying it to my parents as well. I love you and I am not going to let you go again, Eva."

_That can change my mind,_

"And besides," he continued with a wry grin. "When has adversity ever been your weakness, Earth Princess?"

Eva blushed over a smirk of her own, but still felt admittedly worried. Sinking into his chest, she clutched to him needingly; she couldn't let him go once they would return to the palace. She didn't even know how her father would react; she remembered the first night she'd had Aikka in the hospital back home, the look on his face when he'd walked in on their hug, and even now with what Aikka had said to her back in the palace's infirmary, things were a bit more obvious. Aikka wrapped his arms around his love.

"I just…I'm not sure what to do here…" Eva murmured into his chest, feeling her eyes burning again. "I want to do something, I just…have no idea what I can do…"

"Don't worry, Molly, we'll figure something out," Aikka whispered soothingly, stroking the girl's hair. "I will have to go in front of my court, but…" He trailed off, feeling Eva's breath becoming shaky in his arms. But the brief pause made him recall something.

"Molly, so, if it were possible, if Almene were not a factor," Aikka asked, still stroking her hair, trying to calm her. She moved slightly, signaling she was listening. "Would you want to be with me?"

Aikka's voice was so quiet at that point, but Eva could still hear him, and she drew herself from his chest, looking at him with wide and shocked eyes. Aikka looked back at her, calmly and questioningly.

"Aikka, did you just ask me to marry you?" Eva asked in shock as she stared at his blue eyes. Aikka then smiled coyly.

_There is nothing else._

"In a way," he said, stepping back slightly from her. "Come with me and I'll show you what I mean." He held out a hand in offering to her, and grinned.

_Desperate for changing,_

_Starving for truth,_

She looked at his hand, considering the question. If it were possible? She'd take it in a heartbeat. Perhaps not now, they were both so young, but eventually…

_I'm closer to where I started, _

_Chasing after you,_

Eva grinned to match Aikka's expression, pushing herself off of the rock behind her and into his grasp. Aikka smiled and accepted her with a small kiss on the lips, before leading her off to the side of the clearing, and back down into the sloping path. But before they'd reached the stone terrace of the palace, Aikka guided her down a less-tread path, in the direction of the Holy City below.

_I'm fallin' even more in love with you,_

_Letting go of all I've held onto,_

_I'm standing here until you make me move, _

_I'm hanging by a moment here with you._

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: **Woo! Finally they kiss! I was long and evil about it, but it finally happened! How'd you guys like? Also, putting in the idea of Aikka being able to enchant his sword is an idea I've loved for a while now :D I think it'd be really awesome if it were canon, too. Seeing it in anime form would be sweet! Not as sweet as Aikka and Eva getting together in the canon, though! X3

Also, how did the inclusion of the song work with the chapter? I heard it on the radio, and it immediately fit. I've never done anything like a song-fic before, so this is my first time. How'd you guys like it? Did it help? Oh, and the song is Hanging by a Moment, by Lifehouse, and I don't own it! XD

Next chapter:So, where is it that Aikka's leading Eva now, and what's he got in mind? Later on, they return to the palace, and Aikka receives a shock…And so does Eva when a certain Avatar shows up…With a plan.


	18. Bonds, New and Old

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria- : **Holy crap, you guys are great for waiting this long without sending angry hate mail to me!! I am so sorry this one took so long. I'm gonna be straight up, and say that Avatar The Last Airbender really stole me away for a while. I swear, it is competing with the Jelly Bunnies for ownership of my brain!! It's an awesome series, though, and I LOVE it. Also, I had a lot of stuff with starting up College and drawings to keep me busy. But I am back, with a very fluffy chapter for your Mokka needs! Warning, it is rather fluffy.

So, inspiration for this chapter. The ceremony was inspired partially by Final Fantasy X (surprise, surprise, right?) and a little bit of Meru Puri. I'll go into the details on that at the end, so as not to spoil this chapter before you even start reading it! Though fans of those two areas might recognize ;P

And in this chapter, we also have pretty much the sole reason I put Satis the kitty into the story :D Besides being so cute and a fun plot device with which to surprise a sleeping Aikka…-Huggles Satis-

Review replies:

**Shrouded View: **True, however, she knows now that she doesn't have the bond that Eva has with Aikka. She was worried from the beginning about her relationship with the prince. So maybe a little disappointment…mixed with relief, I suppose? Or just worry that things might not work out and Aikka and Molly won't be able together and how that will effect him? Hmm, yes, Almene is an interesting character. I'll be developing her a bit more with the coming chapters :) And you're right, that was repetitive –just reread it- Augh…Well, sorry, and thanks for pointing it out:)

**Sekai Nerah: **Whoa there, not so early in their relationship, lol! I'd have to move this over to the M section, I would. Sorry for the wait, I hope your evil thoughts didn't carry you away too much in my absence! Oo

**Spellcaster Hikaru: **Whee, Hikaru-chan! I miss you Onee-chan! I PMed you on Gaia, so I don't know which you'll see first, this or that, but I'm considering getting into watching Naruto Shippuden, since I've heard good things about it. Thing is, I'm confused about what the heck happened to Sasuke. And you need to watch the new episodes of Avatar! They're awesome! And oh, the RP…It seems to be on hiatus, or something. ADW and DD haven't been seen round those parts in ages. :( I don't know what's going on with that. But yesh, and you should go say hi on DeviantArt, I've got a bunch of stuff up since you were there:D I'm up to 75 deviations! PM me on Gaia, hope you like the chapter, Wuvs!

**Redmagesalyre: **Yeah, I've seen that pic! She's got some pretty awesome stuff. :) Glad you liked it! And So sorry for the wait. Hope you enjoy the fluffiness!

**WhiteWolf: **Aww, thank you! I'll be doing more with the princess in chapters to come, though I admittedly don't have a love interest for her… :( But eventually, yes, she will, don't fear ;) I love Almene too much for her to be lonesome her entire life… Sorry for the wait, but here I am!

**Crazyvegimab: **Squee, thank you, I love your review inside and out! Thanks for all the input, Mabs, it's great to know I'm getting the fight scenes right. –glomps-

**Reader: **So sorry I took so long, but here it is! Fluffiness ahoy!

**Aikka and Eva forever: **-bows- Thank you! Very awesome to hear that, and yesh! Aikka and Eva belong together! –foams-

**IchikoKitsuneKoumori: **We shall see, ne? ;)

**AngelofDarkness: **-giggles- More fluffies for you! Thanks for waiting!

**Keyda841: **Thank you very much! Sorry for the wait, here's some more fluffies for you :D

**Gwen: **Here you go, updated with more fluffies for your Mokka needs! XD

**Cuddlebear: **Aw, squee! –glomps the CuddleBear- Thank you! -blushes- Enjoy the chapter!

**Aisha12894: **Yesh, Canaan does do a lot of interrupting when it comes to Mokka fluffies, doesn't he? –sighs- We should just tie him up and send Molly and Aikka out on a nice long date. –laughs maniacally- XD That's great that the Mokka and Tajan are getting balanced out so well :) Thanks, and sorry again for the wait!

**Whitehitsugaya: **-fangirl squeals with you- Gyah, I know, Molly and Aikka will always be one of my OTPs. I just love it that much :) I'm a sucker for romance, too, don't worry! –squeals again- And Almene, yes, there's already enough hateful princesses set to marry Aikka out there. Woot for being different! And We'll see a little bit of Jordan's plan in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

**Sangofananime: **Thanks, enjoy the chapter:D

**Wild Child 15: **Ah, yes, I understand about things being hectic, that's part of the reason this chapter's so late! –sweatdrop- Enjoy and Thank you!

**Daemon Chick: **Oh, heck yes. I just remembered my obsession with that sword trick. X3 If Savin makes another series with Aikka in it…That's what I'm hoping for aside from more Mokka fluffies/romance! Read to find out what happens! X3

**DramaQueen of the Moon:** I know! Warm fuzzy feelings brought on by Mokka fluffiness are the best!! –sniffles along with you- I love writing them, really, can you tell? XD And Jordan! Yesh! –spazzes- Sorry it wasn't up sooner, but enjoy the new chapter, may it bring you more fuzzies!

_Disclaimer: _Huh? I'm still doing these? –sighs- Alright, as if everyone didn't already know, I don't own Oban Star Racers, Eva, or Aikka…Otherwise they'd find themselves locked in a closet together…But let's not get into that, shall we? …Almene, Takai, Janni, and Kitty-Satis are all minez!

**--**

**-Chapter 18-**

**Bonds, New and Old**

**--**

If there was one thing that Nourasia had in common with Oban, besides spectacular and unrivaled scenery, it had to be the temples. The temples that resided mostly in the Holy City, the domed, stone roofs of a smooth and sandy bronze color peeked out of indigo seas of trees as Eva saw when they headed down the very inclined pathway.

In those temples, were the many ancient stories, fables and legends of the Nourasian people, the very first writings of ancient kings, Aikka's ancestors, who lived centuries, even thousands of years before. It told of the history of the planet, the very first partnerships between Nourasian and Beetle, even. It was surely something to behold, and as she was informed, many a Nourasian made pilgrimages to this holy city to see such ancient writings, to see the deepest, oldest parts of their culture.

Daal had been the root of civilization on Nourasia, it was where the first city was. But as time had passed, and population on the planet grew, it had expanded out into what was now Daalan, until even years later, it was decided by the royal family, that the Holy City was to be just that, the Holy City, a place for worship and ceremony, but not for residency. It made the ancient city that lay in between two mountains that much more special to them as an entire race.

Another thing that Daal was known for, was of course its lakes of pristine mountain water. This, Eva already partly knew, for the Sending ceremony that was held on the banks of one of those lakes. These bodies of water served as ceremonial grounds, for the light of Sekai always shown on them, causing the waters to glimmer in blue. When it was the proper time, even, the effect would sometimes light up the entire clearing of such a lake, and it was something, a communion of the moon and the planet, that the Nourasians admired and felt close to. It was said that if Sekai surrounded you in this way during your ceremony, she was blessing you with more good fortune in whatever your ceremony was about. If it were during a funeral or the Sending, your heart would be healed quicker from your loss. If during a ceremony uniting two in the power of love, the future of the union would be a good one, full of life and passion and romance.

"And if Sekai shines on a Bonding ceremony, the bonded will receive a bond so full that not even the greatest distances or hardships can tarnish it," Aikka recited with a soft smile. He held Eva by the hand, now on level ground, on the edge of the city near where the secret path had converged with the main path of Daal.

Eva looked at him curiously as they walked, their sandals pacing silently on the uneven cobble-stone path.

"The Bonding?" She asked quietly. Aikka nodded silently, heading past swirling stakes of wood that marked the paths, then leading her down one. He glanced around for anybody before he continued.

"Is it like marriage?" Eva then asked, putting the clues together from what Aikka had said over the last several minutes.

"It is somewhat like marriage, yes," Aikka answered, raising a hand to lift a low-hanging branch out of Eva's way. "But it is much stronger. While marriage recognizes a love within the kingdom, the Bonding recognizes love with the Spirits themselves. Usually the two are used in combination, but sometimes not…" Aikka explained, while the sound of running water met Eva's ears.

"You could also look at it this way; Marriage unites the body and mind of two lovers, whereas Bonding unites the heart and soul. It creates a much deeper bond between two people than just being husband and wife." Eva nodded, understanding it easily.

"I see..." Eva said, keeping up with the prince more easily now, as he was walking at a more relaxed pace. He couldn't help but admire the scenery as he walked through the canopy-covered pathway, this night was so special to him. "So, earlier, you were asking me to bond with you," Eva said in more of a realizing statement than a question. Aikka paused in his tracks, and turned to her.

"Yes, if you will accept me, princess." He said, bowing and gently kissing her hand, keeping his eyes on her crimson orbs the whole time. "I would be deeply honored if you would," Aikka said softly. "I may not be perfect, but I love you with all my heart, Molly."

Eva stood dumbstruck, her eyes shining with excitement, watching his eyes, lit up with crystal sincerity. Her hand still lay in his, and he was still bent in a bow, awaiting her answer. She was entirely sure that now, her blush could have been glow-in-the-dark as she felt her cheeks warming up relentlessly, her heart beating in her throat. This must have been how other girls felt when their men were down on one knee…though she somehow and suddenly doubted that they were near as happy as she was right now.

Before she could piece two words together, she threw herself into his arms, bringing both breath and surprise out of the Nourasian. Though he admittedly felt his bruises again with her sudden hug, he felt her nuzzling into the crook of his neck, and decided to wrap his arms around her in return. Meanwhile Eva was fighting back tears again; no way was she going to cry, even if they were tears of joy.

"I'll…take that as a yes?" Aikka asked playfully. Eva drew herself away and looked in his eyes momentarily, before leaning up and pressing her lips onto his. He sighed into the kiss, and held her again. Never had he been happier. Eva finally drew her lips from his, but connected her forehead to his crowned one. Crimson eyes stared passionately into blue, and she nodded slightly.

"Yes, Prince Aikka. I love you too." She said in a whisper, while he smiled back. Her hand slipped from his shoulder and into his hand, and without taking their eyes away from each other's, they set out on the move again. It wasn't long until Eva knew what the sound of rushing water was; they came to one of the small lakes, this one seeming to be something of a rivulet, with a waterfall shimmering into it, a creek outlet leading away into the holy forest. Already the water glittered in blue light from the moon.

"Whoa." Was all Eva could say as she came upon the scene with Aikka's hand in her own. Nourasia just kept getting better and better.

Aikka smiled at her as he reclaimed his hand, in order to take off his outer mantle of robes, leaving him in a rather simple sleeveless and pants. He didn't even have his belt or bell sleeves on after running from the infirmary so quickly.

"Aikka, it's so beautiful…" Eva murmured again as he came up next to her again, leaving his brown robe in a heap on the stone ground behind them. "But, how's this going to work, don't we need a holy man or something?" She asked him curiously. Aikka merely grinned at her.

"Well, it is customary to have one, however, the power is also shared by those of royal blood," He winked at her. She could only grin back, inwardly laughing at how the prince seemed to be growing a cunning side.

He then led her down the bank, the stone beneath their feet giving way to the natural sands of the bank, before there are toes met with the water. Aikka looked sideways at her; in his mind there was no greater moment than right now, no greater honor than to be standing on this bank, her hand in his, about to embark on one of the strongest ceremonies of all. He never expected he'd be Bonded in secret, but that wasn't going to get in his way. He loved Eva and this was the strongest bond that two people could have. He wanted no less for his relationship with the girl.

With that one last look to each other, he led her into the water. It was cold, but refreshing as it consumed their bodies, soaking their clothes and sending any loose articles to pool around their body. Aikka finally stopped when it reached his hips, and almost met Eva's waist, and turned to her, taking her other hand.

"First, we bow," Aikka instructed, bowing to her in the process, as he came up, Eva took her turn and bowed back. He nodded, and stepped closer. "And now, the prayer,"

He gently set his forehead against hers again, taking her hands and clasping them in between them both. With that he began to chant the spell in Nourasian, in that smooth, oddly haunting voice. The prince also, instead of closing his eyes for the prayer as he sometimes did, kept his crystal eyes on her crimson ones, and she felt almost as if he were serenading her rather than praying to the spirits.

As the prince continued reciting the Bonding spell, water around them glowed blue, until, like in the Sending Ceremony, little, gleaming comets of water separated from the lake, swirling around the two of them. Aikka smiled into his prayer; this was that fabled blessing of Sekai.

"Eva Wei, Tua rima en," Aikka finished with his unmatchable smile. Somehow, Eva didn't even have to ask what it meant. "Do you return my love?"

Eva nodded against his head. "I do, Prince Aikka," Eva said quietly, a smile across her face from the utter euphoria she was experiencing. Aikka said nothing, but took her lips gently in a chaste kiss. He pulled slightly back from her, and looked to the moon.

"And now, if Sekai blesses us," Aikka said, overviewing the process in his mind. Almost as if this were a cue, two of the little water comets separated from the rest, playing first between the two of them, before they split up, one seeming to disappear into Aikka, the other into Eva. She felt it as it cooled her skin underneath her shirt, at the arc of her rib cage. It felt tingly, almost like the sensation she'd gotten when receiving her tattoos on her face, minus the pain.

She sent a hand to the spot over her clothing, the comets that still remained airborne around them began to float back downwards to find the rest of the lake. It still tingled, and it seemed to radiate something, though she wasn't sure what. Leaning in, Aikka lifted her shirt just enough to reveal the new mark there, Eva saw it as a ring of Nourasian runes and swirls, in a skin tone that was deep enough to be set off from her own, similar to her tattoos.

"The seal of Bonding," Aikka told her quietly as she stared at it from above. She looked at him just as he leant down, holding her by the waist and just pressing his lips to the mark on her skin. It sent a pleasant jolt through her as he rose again, looking into her eyes. He lifted his own shirt to show his matching mark, his being in a lighter color, similar to his own marks on his cheeks. He smiled and let his shirt fall again before he took her into his arms.

"It's done," Aikka whispered to her, nuzzling gratefully into her two toned hair as her arms wrapped around his waist. "No matter what happens, my heart will always belong to you, Molly."

Eva clung tighter to the prince, wanting him to hold her forever. No matter what happened…but what would happen? She couldn't imagine life without this touch now, not without Aikka. It made her want to fight harder for the prince. But who would she have to fight? The king, surely…Perhaps even Almene, even her own father! Somehow though, she'd prove herself to them all, she'd prove her love for him. If she didn't vow that at least, what kind of princess would she make for her beloved prince?

"I love you," Eva murmured into his chest, trying as well to assure herself of her newfound mission. She squeezed him only a bit tighter, wanting the embrace to last a lifetime.

Aikka returned the squeeze, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as if to protect her from harm. His own mission was much the same; he wanted her to be accepted by the others, by his father, by his people. It'd likely be a hard and grueling road in front of his council, but he would do it, he'd make them see.

As sure as there was a Seal of Bonding on his chest, his love for her would not fade. He wasn't giving up on her now.

--

The deep, romantic mood between the two of them, while not forgotten, quieted down into their usual companionship as they sat under the stars again, once more back in Aikka's sanctuary of a clearing. Sitting on a grassy patch with his back to a rock, Aikka had his arms wrapped around his princess's shoulders as she sat between his legs, her back to his chest, looking up at the Nourasian night sky. Surprisingly, it wasn't too late into the night as they sat together, Aikka pointing out the Nourasian constellations.

It was the first real time they had alone together since they'd taken G'dar out for food on Earth, and they were taking advantage of it. Once they'd get back to the palace, they reluctantly agreed that the others, particularly the King, would be hesitant to leave them alone together. And after Aikka ran out of the infirmary like he did, they'd surely still be paranoid.

"Hey Aikka," Eva asked quietly, and Aikka tilted his head into hers as if to say he was listening. "What should we tell the others, about the Bonding? You won't get into a lot of trouble for it, will you?" She asked cautiously.

"It should not be too much of a problem," Aikka began difficultly, pondering on the scenarios. "But for now, until we figure out just what to do, before I speak to my parents, let us keep it between us. If I bring it up too soon, they may just think I was using it for leverage." He pressed his lips to her red hair. "I would never do that."

Eva nodded against his chin, her crimson eyes becoming heavy with drowsiness. She snuggled deeper into the protective alcove that was Aikka's hold on her, and felt sleep lulling her off.

"Sounds about right," Eva agreed in a soft voice. "Thank you, Aikka," she then murmured with a smile, finally nodding off and letting sleep capture her in the prince's arms.

Aikka felt her relax more in his grasp, and instantly knew where she'd gone. He smiled to himself as he hugged her closer.

"Sleep well, princess," he closed his own eyes after giving one last look to Sekai. "It has been a long day."

Aikka gave one last smile as he pulled his unworn robe from beside him, pulling it over Eva as she slept. He just barely felt her hair against his cheek before he too was lost to much needed sleep.

--

General Kross had been staring at the lights of the Nourasian palace for a while now, looking from the dark windows of the large trident ship that he and his subordinates had snuck on to the planet just hours before. It sat past the edge of Daalan, hidden in the shroud of forest, while the general plotted against the kingdom, against the prince, and against Molly, the winner of the race of Oban. The one who'd stolen his victory.

He flexed his mechanical arm again, the sounds of gears and metal feeding his anger toward those lesser creatures, those humans, Nourasians. They were all the same, headstrong pests that thought they could outdo the Crog Imperium.

Laughable, that's what it was to Kross. True, the meddlesome prince and his little bodyguard had taken down one of his men, and injured another, but that meant nothing. He would win his complete honor back, and the prince would not stop him, rather, he would pay.

Kross was done toying with his prey, it was time he took a more drastic step, it was time he made Aikka, Molly, Earth and Nourasia know that he was serious, it was time he made them obey. And he already had a plan.

"Earlier you told me the fleets that attacked Earth were waiting their next orders," Kross hissed to a large shadow in the background of the little trident bridge, another Crog. The general did not take his eye off of the quiet Nourasian city. That eye narrowed as Kross glared with an inward smirk out the window.

"Well, I have their next orders ready," Kross told his subordinate menacingly. "I hope they are ready for another trip." The lower officer listened intently to Kross's orders, taking it all to mental note.

"Also," the general continued just as the other Crog was turning for the door, off to obediently carry on the message to the rest of the Crogs' massive fleets just outside the planet's atmosphere. Kross's one eye turned to a malicious slit as he glanced to the other Crog.

"Get me a link to our old ally, King Lao." He hissed mockingly at the king's name. The officer nodded quickly and left the room, leaving Kross with his plan and his vengeful gaze at the palace.

--

Aikka woke in a haze, the only thing that was clear to him was Eva's presence, still in his arms. Rubbing his eyes with one palm, he then noticed that she'd shifted since they'd fallen asleep, and she now had her arms around his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Even though she was still deep in sleep, her grip was amazingly strong as she clung to him.

Aikka smiled sleepily at this, and stroked some of her hair as more consciousness came to him. Peering around his secret clearing, he still saw the night sky; they'd obviously not been asleep for more than a few hours. Dawn was even a fair few hours off.

Though, as he stared out at the sky, trying to calculate by the placement of the moons what time it was, he noticed the red glow again over the planet. The sign that the Crogs were still present. He was reminded of the previous day, Kross trying to claim Eva, and then his life.

He clutched the girl closer to him, feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the Crog's glow above them as if he and the girl were perfectly clear to them, like they were watching their every move. She was so calm in his grasp, not knowing about the glow over their heads. He then remembered, besides the fact that the Crogs were above, that they should have probably been back to the palace; there was bound to be worry over where the two of them were.

"Molly, wake up," Aikka whispered into Eva's ear. She stirred slightly but did not wake. "Molly, we must get back to the palace," Aikka said again, this time shaking her slightly with a gentle grip on her shoulder. This seemed to help more, and the girls crimson eyes opened narrowly.

"Aikka? Wa's goin' on?" Eva murmured sleepily, not removing her head from his shoulder.

"Nothing, but we both fell asleep earlier, we should have gone back to the palace. Your father must be worried," Aikka told her, lifting his back off of the rock behind him, bringing the girl with him as she released him to sit dazedly in his lap. He stroked messy hair from her face before kissing her lightly on the cheek hoping it'd wake her up more.

"And besides that, look," Aikka pointed to the sky, showing her the red glow. Eva's eyes widened then, and she yawned, but understood.

"Those freaks never give up," She muttered. Aikka got to his feet, and Eva soon followed, rubbing at her eyes. The prince let the girl shrug into his outer robe that they'd used as a blanket, before taking Eva's hand and leading her into the shelter of the canopy covered path, this time going downhill towards the palace.

They ran into little through the hallways to the guest wing, the whole palace seemed quiet. The guest wing was dim as they found it, and Don's door seemed to be open and shedding light into the corridor. Eva then knew that he'd probably kept the door open so that she'd come see him when she returned, she suddenly felt guilty for being gone so long. Aikka got her attention by way of a squeeze of her hand. She turned to face him again, red eyes meeting with crystal.

"I will leave you here," he whispered to her. "I will go tell my parents that I've returned, you should go get some more sleep,"

Eva nodded with a yawn; she couldn't argue with that. Aikka couldn't resist giving her one last kiss to her tattooed star in their solitude. Turning to leave, he gave her his last, quiet farewell, his hand slipping slowly from hers.

"Good night, then, Molly." Eva smiled stowing her hands behind her back in her classic playful pose.

"G'night, Prince," Eva replied, her head still in a haze. Already she wanted to tell someone, to not keep such great news, the greatest thing to ever happen to her, to herself.

Aikka vanished into the palace, though his smiling face lingered in her mind as she drew herself from her daydreams. She needed to go tell her father of her return.

Sighing her euphoria away, she turned for the lit doorway. Peeking inside, Don already appeared fast asleep, slumped in a chair. Silently smiling, she went to put out the torch that provided the room with it's dim light.

"Good night, dad," She told him quietly. "I can't wait to tell you…I just hope you'll be happy,"

Closing the door silently behind her, she crossed the hall, already grateful and eager for the Nourasian bed that would meet her at the end of her journey. She found Janni asleep much in the same fashion as her father was; as if she'd been waiting, slumped over on her side of the bed, gun-cleaning set not far out of reach. Satis looked comfortable, curled up against the gunner, Eva was pleased to notice.

Following Janni's example, Eva simply wandered to the bed and flopped down without the vaguest consideration for her clothing, nor for the sheets she laid herself on top of. Sighing, she knew, all things considered, this had to have been the best day of her life. Even Janni had a smile on her sleeping face.

Eva grinned, wondering what could have possibly given the gunner that smile, before snuggling into Aikka's lingering scent on the robe and letting herself be taken again by sleep.

---

Aikka strode confidently down the hallways he knew so well, the halls that led to his parents' inner throne chambers. He'd never felt so nervous about talking to them before, yet he'd never been so sure of what he wanted.

Eva was his best friend, his beloved, and now his bonded. She was his princess. How could he possibly return to a life without her, was a mystery to him, the idea was just unfathomable. He knew he could never accept Almene anymore, much less anyone else, not the way he was expected to. Not the way he'd already long ago accepted Eva.

Now his only problem was his parents and if they'd permit it to happen. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted it desperately. He'd do anything for Eva. But how hard would it really prove to be?

Now standing in front of the crimson curtain, Aikka paused, gathering his courage. Now was the moment, he knew. He'd prove his love for Eva was undeniable, even to his parents, the king and queen of Nourasia. He envisioned her, Eva, dressed in her unique combination of Nourasian clothes, and then he saw her again, this time in an elegant outfit suited to the queen of Nourasia. _His queen. _

The thought made his heart skip a beat, heat rise in his cheeks, more courage pouring into him. Drawing in breath, he stepped forward, parting the curtains to allow himself entry.

Looking around, the prince found an odd sight; the lengthy room, doused in torchlight, was quiet. At the end of the stretch, sat the thrones, vacant. Aikka's hand went instinctively to his belt, immediately suspicious, only to find that he was still unarmed since his stay in the hospital wing.

Grimacing at that fact, he stepped forward, silent and calculated. He'd been told that his parents were here…but where were they? The closer he got to the thrones, though, the more he begun to hear voices, coming from the back chambers behind the throne curtains.

"This isn't a good idea, Lao. You know nothing good has ever come of talking to that brute!" Aikka instantly recognized his mother's seemingly distant voice.

With a silent spurt of speed, Aikka hurried up to the edge of the curtain, careful to not disturb the fabric. His father's voice came next, stressed, as Aikka had many a time before heard it…when he was under pressure from the Crogs…

"I know, I know, Nori, but I must hear what the General has to say! You know the power he possesses!" Aikka felt his fists clench at his sides, his lips moving silently to form that one loathsome name.

"Kross…" It took a great deal of self control to keep himself from uttering it. He heard his mother sigh.

"Very well. Just be wise; the last time we made a deal with him, we almost lost our only son!" Nori's voice carried a protectiveness of her son, as well as venom for the infamous Crog leader as she brought up their alliance in the Great Race.

Their son, meanwhile, felt his tension rise; So Kross was calling? That could not be good. It never ended well. Aikka's blue eyes glinted around the dim throne room; this must be why the Crog abandoned the fight in the forest so early. This was his real plan…something sinister, as Aikka could only guess. He held his breath as the humming of those technological communication devices overtook the silence within, as a greater sense of foreboding grew in his stomach.

"General Kross," Lao's voice boomed with confidence fitting a mighty king. "You called a hearing with me? This had better be about removing your influence from my people, I won't have any more attacks on my innocent subjects!"

Kross's voice cackled, sending a wave of hatred through the prince's body, his eyes fixed in a glare on the stone floor below him.

"Well, well, the king has found his voice, has he?" Lao made a noise of frustration at the machine, while his son felt his fists clench tighter. "Fortunately for you, this may end well for you and your subjects." Kross hissed menacingly. Aikka was caught off guard by these words, the suspicion in him, that ominous feeling growing painfully inside of him.

"It may, if you act accordingly. All you have to do is make a simple decision," Kross continued.

The king stood silent, and off to the side, the queen, unseen by the general, gave a glare of narrowed blue eyes at the Crog's hologram, her arms folded across her chest. Her eyes carried a sort of graceful hatred, beautiful, yet dangerous glint and exhibited her protectiveness of her son, the popular target of Crog threats.

Kross's eye glinted into a yellow slit, showing the heinous 'grin' he was famous for. Nori shifted, not taking her suspicious glare off of him, and Aikka, unseen, stood rigid as the next words sounded from Kross's static-laced voice.

"I have a proposition for you, Lao."

---

It came some time in the night, the faint sound of mewing, scratching on wood. It was the sound of a familiar animal routing around, it was so common to her these days, that she nearly dismissed it.

Her two-toned head tossed over her pillow as Eva tried to ignore her young adolescent cat, but the mewing continued. She tried again to return to her dreams about a certain prince, but had no such luck.

A vague feeling of light passing over her, along with some sense of warmth, though, finally brought her back, opening her crimson eyes to the darkness. She cocked her head as she lifted it above her pillow; whatever light that she'd just 'seen' was gone. She squinted around the room sleepily, finding the windows behind the curtains illuminated blue. And Janni was still fast asleep beside her.

Another, contented mew called Eva's attention towards her door, and she had to squint to see Satis's small form in the dark. The cat, as it appeared, was still scratching at the door, as if he wanted out.

"Satis, quiet, go to sleep," Eva yawned, about to flop back into bed.

Before she had a chance, however, she realized that there was a vertical slit of faint torch light coming from the other side of the door; Satis wasn't scratching at the door anymore, he was trying to push it open!

"Satis!!" Eva hissed, whipping covers out of the way as she lept up. Meanwhile, Satis had managed to get completely past his obstacle, save for his bottle brush tail still drifting through the gap and out of Eva's sight.

Eva stumbled almost blindly after her cat, swinging the door wide open. There was no way to know what would happen to her cat if he was loose in Nourasia, much less in the palace. Such a strange creature wandering the halls would surely cause confusion among the servants and whoever else lived in the palace. Which was the exact reason she'd promised Aikka from the beginning that she and Janni would be careful to keep the animal in their room only. How the door had opened, though, was a mystery to her. She was sure she closed it securely behind her earlier…

"Satis, get back here!" Eva whispered, scrubbing at her tired eyes with her hands, the torchlight harassing her sleep-filled vision. She caught sight of Satis jaunting over to and right out of the balcony door.

"Not good," Eva muttered before jogging after her pet as he found the out side world of Nourasia.

The little two-toned cat, instead of running off further into the night, plopped down into a seat on the stone terrace. As Eva came up in a hurry behind him, Satis looked calmly over his shoulder at her, then back up, seemingly to the sky, with a mew and a lick of his feline lips. Barely paying attention to her surroundings at all, Eva swung through the doorway, nearly stumbling over the creature.

"What's gotten into you, you little troublemaker?!" Eva exclaimed, grabbing Satis around the middle and collecting him into his arms. Satis, in return, mewed once more and leaned a little more out of her grasp.

It was then that Eva noticed the unusual lighting on that terrace; along with the blue of Sekai, there was an odd yellow glow spilling on the stone floor. Eva let out a gasp, associating such a friendly yellow glow with one person…

"Hey, Molly,"

He stood just before her, as if standing on the railing, but she knew better; he was simply floating there. His eyes were as warm as ever, and gold as she'd left them. His celestial form was unchanged, it was still the golden, flowing shape that haunted her memories and her dreams. Perhaps this was only that, just a dream.

"Jordan?" Eva gasped, with barely any breath at all. She only vaguely remembered there was a cat in her arms, it was amazing she was still holding him.

The avatar, meanwhile, smiled at the girl he still loved. Lowering himself to the floor, he transformed himself back into his human form before Eva's wide eyes. Luckily he felt more confident going before her in a new outfit, one of greens and yellows that suited him better than the old shades of mulberry and purple.

"Yep, it's me," Jordan said softly, coming up to a familiar height above the girl. Eva, meanwhile, set her cat gently on the ground, and threw herself into the avatar's arms, relishing the scent and feeling of her long-lost friend and partner.

"Jordan, it's so great to see you!!" Strong arms embraced her in return, easily encircling her small frame. The Avatar breathed her in, the girl he'd missed so much. It'd only been a year, but it felt as if he hadn't had her this close in ages.

"I missed you too, Molly," Jordan sighed, wishing against common sense that he could hold her forever. So many reasons said he shouldn't, yet so many more made him yearn that it be possible. Despite all those things that made him want her, he let her go so they could look at each other. Eva gave him a wry smile, much like the playful ones she always gave him back during the races.

"You never told me you had a sister!" She observed, hands on her hips. "And you grew your hair out!" Jordan grinned back.

"Hey, had to save some surprises for you, didn't I, Molly?" the teenage entity laughed, for a moment enjoying the opportunity to be carefree with an old friend. It still weighed more than a little on him that this was all could ever be between them, but all the same, he savored just being able to see her before him. That despite it all, she'd been the one to throw herself in his arms.

And he also regretted that he'd come here for an important reason. His face turned serious as he beheld her.

"Molly, I'm sorry, I really haven't been much help to you this far in all this, I wish there was more I could do…for you, personally…" Jordan began awkwardly. "I'm glad that Aikka is protecting you. And Janni too. But things are getting serious in this war."

Eva's smile left over from their previous train of conversation faded as  
Jordan's face grew darker with apprehension with every word he spoke.

"What do you mean? The incident today, Or…Something bigger?" Eva asked cautiously, her own voice growing softer with fear.

"The Crogs, or Kross, really, they're getting impatient." Jordan explained, before closing his eyes as he, unbeknownst to Eva, called on his new and growing skills at Foresight. Golden eyes opened, fixed on the stone floor below them.

"Right now, Molly, a proposition has been made. Aikka knows about it, and he isn't going to like it." Jordan proclaimed. "He's going to hate it, as a matter of fact. But there's a great amount of gravity on this proposal, on both sides."

Eva stared at him, not knowing what she could possibly say to that.

"A proposition? What kind of proposition?" She asked him nervously. He shook his head.

"I can't tell you right now, but don't worry, Aikka definitely will. But my time here is running out." Jordan told her. "I came here to tell you what you can do with it," He told her quietly, with a slight grin on his face. Eva merely cocked her head curiously.

"Molly, I've been working on getting help for this war, but I still need time if Earth and Nourasia are going to last that long. I need you to stall Kross." Her eyes immediately widened. "This is going to sound absolutely crazy when Aikka tells you what this proposition is, Aikka will be completely against it. But you gotta trust me, and play along with it."

"Play along, with what? What's going on, Jordan?" Eva asked, suddenly frightened. He put a gentle hand on her cheek, and it somehow calmed her down, slowed her hurried heartbeat.

"Just trust me, Molly, I just need you to buy me some time without any planets being destroyed, since I'm going to be elsewhere, getting help." Eva became that much more confused as she looked into his determined gold eyes. "Believe me, when the right time comes, you will know what to do. It _will_ come to you. Just remember that Kross is still sore about the outcome of Oban."

Eva felt weak in his grasp, his one hand on her shoulder, the other on her cheek. Her crimson eyes shone with the sudden weight of this vague premonition of his, this return of the subject of war in an otherwise blissful night. She began to feel Jordan slipping away from her again…or maybe that was all in her head.

"Jordan, I…" Eva began unsurely, before resolving a solid look of nervous determination on her face. "I'll do what I can." Her crimson eyes pierced the blue-illuminated darkness between them, and Jordan felt a weakening in him, looking once more at those soft but courageous red eyes. He lost himself for a moment and in the moment as he leant forward.

Eva froze for a second, right before Jordan caught himself and an awkward pause took them both. Eva broke it with a splash of color to her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Jordan," she spoke shyly. "Me and Aikka…We…" Jordan finally removed his hand from the near-intimate position on her cheek, letting it float down to take her other shoulder, shaking his head.

"It's alright, Molly, you don't have to tell me. I understand." Even with his assuring voice, Eva looked at the avatar worriedly. Jordan saw her look and continued, the blush becoming apparent in his own cheeks. "I think I knew, even back then, before you did, even. As long as Aikka loves you back and makes you happy," Jordan continued, though it was hard for him to finally, verbally affirm this belief of his. As long as Molly was happy, he was happy. Even if it was with 'Princey' instead of himself. Eva, though, still looked guilty that she couldn't appreciate Jordan as more than a friend, that he'd have to live with that for another nine-thousand and ninety-nine years.

"I followed my heart back when I told you I loved you, Molly, it's only fair that you do the same." Jordan beamed at her, regaining his golden glow. "Don't worry about me. Oh, and tell Janni I said hi, ok?"

"Jordan," Eva whispered as his hand faded from hers, as he began to transport back to Oban. How she wanted her friend to stay with her…but she knew it wasn't possible. "Thanks for everything, partner." She settled on saying to his quickly disappearing form.

Soon all that was left of the meeting with the avatar was some floating specks of gold light. And as Eva peered around, in vain hope that he was still around, the voice sounded, disembodied.

"_In a couple of days, Sera will be half-gone. When she rises to her peak that day, look for me." _

Eva looked around as Jordan's voice faded, then sank a little; he really was gone again. She and Satis were left alone on the balcony of the Guest wing, the peace of Nourasia overtaking them once more.

Her eyes rose to the sky, she felt as though she was searching for Oban, searching for answers. She found Sera, settling down in the sky to the west, getting ready to visit the other side of the planet. She saw Sekai, giving her light to the world. And the red glow dominating the sky somewhere in between the moons. The Crogs, the Crogs that were apparently on the move about something.

"A proposition is being made," Eva murmured to herself. "When the time comes…I'll know what to do? Jordan, can't you be a little bit more specific?!" Eva asked the darkness, wrapping her arms around her torso.

She suddenly heard movement from within, and turned with a start, peering into the torch-lit hallway. If this was the time Jordan was talking about, she was not ready! She told herself that it was all in her head, but remained perfectly motionless and inconspicuous as possible.

"Molly?" She let out a breath as she heard the familiar voice searching for her. The shadows moved from within, and Aikka met her in the doorway.

"Aikka!" Eva exclaimed, relieved to see her prince standing there. Though her face fell when she read his expression. His face was so full of a mixture of pain, anger and confusion…This must be part of Jordan's prediction he made to her. "What's going on? What's the proposition?"

Aikka opened his mouth, but then looked at her oddly; How did she know there was a proposition?

"How did you…?" Aikka wondered, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"I'll explain in a second, but I need to know," Eva said seriously, earning a look of confused acceptance of her answer on his face. The determination in her crimson eyes told him to simply continue.

But soon, the anger of what he knew, the gravity of it all fell on his shoulders again, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he strode fiercely over to the balcony's edge. Leaning over the railing, his fists supporting him against the stone, he shut his eyes to the injustice of the world, and tried to collect his thoughts into coherent order. Eva, meanwhile, waited patiently behind him.

"My father…And my mother…They were contacted by Kross." Aikka said in a low voice. Eva nearly winced, but she knew Kross was part of this from what Jordan had said. She remained quiet as Aikka's head hung slightly. Unseen to her, his tan face and crystal eyes were contorted with anger.

"Kross made an offer. An offer to remove all his troops, his fleets. That Nourasia would be free." He said, in a calm but shaky voice. Eva walked up to share the railing with the prince. Her hand lightly, almost apprehensively, touched his. "On one condition."

"And that is?" Eva asked him worriedly. Blue eyes turned to her at last, this time full of grief, and if Eva wasn't mistaken, shame. Her own eyes widened at the emotion in them, and she vaguely felt his hand suddenly grasp desperately to hers. She grew doubly worried as Jordan's words flashed through her mind;

"_This is going to sound absolutely crazy when Aikka tells you…"_

"Molly, they want you. Kross wants us to surrender you to them." He whispered hoarsely. "And he wants _me_ to personally hand you to him."

"_But you've gotta trust me…and play along with it."_

**-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-:** Oh noes, another cliff-hanger! XD I deeply apologize…

So, did anyone catch the MeruPuri and Final Fantasy reference?

From FFX, the scene in Macalenia forest with Tidus and Yuna was really sweet, and beautiful. I wanted my Nourasia to be sort of like that. Along with Aikka and Molly Bonding in the water, the way Tidus and Yuna affirm their love in the water. The scenery in that was just to die for, really. I wuv Final Fantasy :3

Then, a little bit from MeruPuri…I'm not quite up to date on this part of the story, however due to spoilers, I found that Aram and Airi have these tattoos at the bottom of their chests, they match, and signify marriage in Aram's kingdom. I'm not sure how they got married, but I'm pretty sure Aram did it to save her or something…But anyway! I thought it'd be a neat element for this story, for them to have matching tattoos signifying the Bonding, which binds their two souls. In MeruPuri, actually, if another man besides Aram were to kiss Airi's tattoo (like I had Aikka do,) She would die Oo …I didn't include that of course, that's just darker than I want for Nourasia. And also, Aram and Airi share a little kissing scene in the water as well!

So, next chapter:: What's really going on with Kross's proposition? And how is Aikka going to react when Eva tells him what she knows? And what she has to do?? And the king and queen…what do they think of this whole mess?

I'll update when I can, I don't know when that will be…I'm in college now, remember that! Love you all!

Oh, and before I leave… _Any other Avatar: The Last Airbender fans in here?_

I have a question for you: As a Mokka fan, do you find yourself being a Zutarian, or not? I ask because I suddenly became curious. If you think about it, the romance between Aikka and Molly(in the show, I mean) has some similarities with the idea of a romance between Zuko and Katara.

In both pairings, the two are from separate, very different races/peoples, planets/nations…

There are princes…with complicated family issues (Aikka with his parents being held by the Crogs, Zuko with his father's heavy influence on him, his mother's disappearance) They both like sneaking around, too. Blue Spirit, angst hoodies,, much? XD

There are girls, common, peasant, whatever…Both lost their mothers at early ages…Both seem to have a bit of trouble with their fathers(Katara not as much, but she does have some angst in the first episode of the new season) And both are very strong female characters who aren't afraid to kick butt.

Zuko and Aikka both have difficult choices to make, throughout their respective shows…

There is an element of betrayal to both of their relationships as well.

In the end, Aikka makes the right decision and fights alongside Molly, and I know that Zuko will eventually make the same choice and fight alongside Katara and Aang…

…

lol, Both Zuko and Aikka have Avatars to compete with for their love interests! XD

hmm, yeah, I think that's it. See, they have a lot of similarities! So, I was just curious as to how many OSR/A:TLA fans find themselves rooting for both Zutara and Mokka. Any comments? Thoughts?

Yes, I am Zutarian! And Proud, too!

Well, I'll be going now, see you all next update! I'll be lurking around DeviantArt if you need me! XD


	19. Nervous Negotiations

Ahoy-hoy, everybody! As you can plainly see, I am BACK on FF. And I have a nice, juicy, long-awaited chapter for you guys, and hope you aren't too miffed at me for disappearing for ages. I'd like to apologize for how long this took me to do, I have had other life things to deal with, like college, and honestly, Avatar the Last Airbender took up a good deal of my time for a while. I have to admit that part of the long wait was just procrastination and laziness, but also, I found writing this chapter to be a little rocky, as I have wanted it to come out perfect and believable. Not sure if it's perfect, but I think I managed to make it fairly believable. At least I hope. lol.

Overall I'm pleased with how it turned out and I'm excited to get to writing the next chapters. We're getting started, now! More details on my return and my intentions with my stories can be found in my updated profile page, so feel free to go have a look.

And a big THANK YOU to all who have continued to read and enjoy this story, I've gotten every review you've sent me, along with every fave/alert! You guys make this all worth the while. However, I'm not going to answer them here on the chapter pages anymore, since I know you guys came for the story, and have been waiting too long for it. So, here you go, Chapter 19 of Aftermath! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer:: Oban Star Racers and all characters (c) Savin Yeatman-Eiffel and Sav! the World Productions

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**-Chapter 19-**

**-Nervous Negotiations-**

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"I have a proposition for you, Lao."

Aikka felt as if ice cold water had washed over him as he stood, frozen to the spot just outside the chamber from where Kross spoke. He resisted the urge to let a shiver take him, focusing all his being on hearing this out…figuring out what devious scheme Kross was concocting this time around.

"And what might that be?" Lao asked sternly, crossing his arms across a vast chest. Nori's gaze had never left the holographic Crog. Kross grinned momentarily before continuing; he relished being able to enjoy this new torment of the pitiful Noursaians.

"Tell me, Lao, which is of greater priority to you as a King, the lives of the many, or the life of one?" Kross asked the king with relish, watching as the King drew in a sharp breath, his eyes widening.

Nori's glare fell straight off of her face at this, only to be replaced by a look of horror. It wasn't hard to tell what Kross was hinting at, and she knew she would have none of it. Not while she was queen. Her glare returned, the beautiful but deadly glint back in her eyes, as she marched straight up to stand beside her husband.

"If you truly believe we will sacrifice our son, you are sorely mistaken, General." She spoke harshly at the device. Aikka felt his heartbeat rise, out of fear, fear of the consequences his mother was begging for in his honor. Never before had his mother spoken so out of turn. Save for when they had called him for a conference back on Oban, but then, that wasn't towards a Crog! Much less Kross!

"This is no proposition, it is exploitation!" Nori waved an angry hand in front of her, her motherly instincts taking over her.

"Nori, please," Lao murmured nervously as the Crog general cackled over static again. "Losing our tempers will not help us, or our son!"

Nori looked sideways at him, her look losing none of its unusual darkness. Turning her gaze back to Kross, who was waiting patiently, almost gleefully for the queen's priceless outburst to pass. Aikka held his breath. It was as if he were listening to his fate be decided, and even worse, it was torture hearing his mother do this…If Kross were there in person, that outburst would have likely been answered with violence…Something he hardly wanted to imagine.

"You never let me finish, dear queen! It's not your precious Prince I'm after at all!" Kross laughed condescendingly.

Lao and Nori both donned looks of confusion, while Aikka silently tread the floor, slowly and carefully seeking a gap in the curtains he could look through. He felt only a vague sense of relief of the fear of his own fate, while the feeling in his gut grew stronger still. At last, a single crystal eye peered through the tiniest vertical slit in the curtain, just in time to see the distant likeness of Kross narrowing his eyes.

"I will remove all my troops from your pathetic planet, your kingdom. I will leave you and your people free to go. We have gotten the use out of your resources, now all that is left is this old score to settle. On one condition will I lay this last odd between us to rest." Kross declared.

Lao shifted uncomfortably, Nori felt delicate fists clenching at her sides, and Aikka watched with increased apprehension, still denying himself the luxury of breath. He saw Kross tilt his head forward slightly in a menacing manner as he knew he held the royalty's complete attention.

"I know you are harboring her. I know she's in your little city, in your very palace. Her and her despicable little family." Kross hissed.

In that moment, everything seemed to stop for Aikka. He felt his eyes widen, and had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep himself from making a sound. It wasn't him they were asking to be sacrificed at all. It was Eva. His Eva.

"Now, Lao, I'll ask you again; which is more important to you, the lives of your people, or the one life of this miserable human?" Lao once more hesitated to answer, while Nori pieced together the information in her shock.

"What are you getting at, Kross?" Lao said with a dry throat, almost afraid to actually answer such a damning question.

"Just this, Lao." Kross said icily, not lamenting over the question being ignored. "I will remove all of my influence, as I said. The condition is, you give me the girl. The winner of Oban. And, as an added bonus, for your queen's little rebellious attitude, I would like someone very specific to personally deliver her to me."

Aikka felt his hands go clammy, the one covering his mouth falling away slightly from his face. He saw his mother's stance shift at the mention of her, but he also noticed the woman's fist clenching tighter around a clump of her elegant skirt. She seemed to know just as he did where this was going.

"Your son, Prince Aikka, will hand the girl over to me, if he knows what is good for his kingdom." Kross said, narrowing his one yellow eye even further. "I'm sure you have been wondering where Aikka's _true_ alleigence lies, in his kingdom, or in this love affair, correct, Lao?"

"And should we refuse to give up the girl?" Lao suggested, trying to hide the slight shake in his voice. Kross would have smirked if he had the facilities. The King had played perfectly into his design.

"Should you refuse, I also have my troops set. Not only around your planet," Aikka saw the hologram of Kross change to that of an orb, Nourasia. Around the orb, there were several triangle indicators. Many, by the looks of it. Another Orb appeared next to that, a bit larger, and with more triangles surrounding it. "But around the girl's, as well. Should you refuse, it would be the end of your people, and hers. My troops are poised to attack all of your cities, and many of Earth's, on my word. It would be the beginning of the end for both of these planets if you find the impudence to refuse."

Aikka fell back a few steps, the image of what turned out to be two planets at Kross's mercy burned into his vision. Setting a hand on the throne chair near him, both to keep his wavering balance and assure himself that he was still there, still conscious, that he wasn't in some sort of sick dream. Spirits, how he wished he were dreaming. How he wished that he'd suddenly wake up in a cold sweat, Eva still clinging to him in their secret place above the city, and that this whole, stupid proposition were some horrid nightmare.

The prince buried his face in shaking hands. It had so suddenly come down to this wretched choice, and not for the first time; him choosing between his people, or his love. Again, he was being asked, if not forced, to betray her. The thought of letting his people down, letting them fall to the Crog's enslavement, if not total annihilation, was too much, too painful to bear.

But no. There was no way he'd do this. Never again, not to her. Nor to anyone, for that matter. He'd already betrayed her friendship during the races, and her life wasn't totally in danger by him doing so back then either. If he did what Kross ordered… If he was to be the one to send her off to her death, or who knew what Kross had in store….Even if Kross kept his word and never touched Nourasia again, he'd never be able to live with himself. Thinking of betraying her left him with an emotion so painful it gripped him in a physical pain. It was simply unthinkable.

"If Aikka does not show up, with the girl, in that primitive racing arena of yours by the time the Star rises, I will give word to my troops, and you'll not only be responsible for the terror unleashed on your people, but on Earth's as well." Kross continued from within, while Aikka tried pulling himself back together. "And that's not something you want on your conscience as you're waiting on death's doorstep," Kross grinned evilly at the king and queen, who seemed just as shocked and appalled by Kross's deal. Before anyone could object to his terms, Kross was gone in a hiss of static.

Aikka stole another peek through the curtain, watching his parents stand silent. It seemed an eternity, before either of them moved out of their shocked stances. His father was the first to move, turning towards the curtain where Aikka himself was standing. About to flee, before his father would discover him, Aikka was relieved as his mother spoke up, causing his father to turn back around.

"Lao, what are you going to do?" She implored him, sounding exhausted.

"I'm going to call for Aikka. We must discuss this." Nori stepped up to him.

"You cannot possibly think that Aikka would go along with this! That girl, that innocent girl, is his friend, he cares deeply for her! How can we expect that he'd toss her away so willingly!?" Nori asked indignantly.

"Be that as it may, our people…The girl's people, are in danger! I don't know what we can do to stop this!" Lao retorted. Nori frowned.

"So you will sacrifice this girl. Eva is a wonderful girl, and she makes Aikka happier than I've ever seen! The spirits were smiling on him when they guided them together. Even if you want to give her up to those disgusting creatures, Aikka will not allow it. And you cannot force the guilt of such a thing on him!" Aikka found breath difficult to come by as he watched his mother plead for him, but he felt his heart skip a beat under his shirt as his father raised his voice slightly.

"I do not want any of this, Nori! I don't want Aikka to be forced into such a harsh decision! I don't want that girl to pay for our freedom, and I don't want anyone to be attacked! But as it is, I'm king, and I have to make these hard decisions. And Aikka is a part of this, and he must be told, one way or the other." He sighed as his voice came down again. "I simply do not know what to do." He finally admitted, his shoulders sinking. Aikka's gaze fell to the floor.

Silence reigned again as Nori's shoulders sank. It was a somber assessment, but nor did she have any idea of what could be done. That, and the amount of time they'd been given to consider things, was extremely harsh and terrible for the queen to accept. Her husband was right, he was the king, and had this decision, and because of the bloodline, that weight also fell to Aikka. More so because of the emotional attachment he felt with the girl, which Nori was not afraid to acknowledge.

By the time dawn would come in just a matter of a couple of hours, her son would know. Her son would be devastated. She knew he'd hate this; he'd hate everything about it, as she did.

What she didn't know, was that her son was running down the throne room on the opposite side of the curtain. Not making a sound with his Nourasian agility until he met the lavish crimson curtain and tossed it violently aside, running down the hallway past an occasional confused maid or palace care-taker.

It was like experiencing Oban all over again, this hurt, this confusion, this choice looming over him like an axe ready to sever him in two if he so much as moved wrong. The assignment. The Crogs. The girl, the Earth Princess's welfare hanging in the balance.

He was just as confused now as he was then, with the same things at stake on either side of the bargain. His love, his friend. Two entire races of people.

He didn't know what to do either. But one thing was going to be different about this occasion.

He wasn't going to hide it from Eva as he did last time. And he wasn't about to let his father decide that for him. He didn't know what could be done to stop this horrible plan of Kross's, but he would decide with his princess. Eva would not be left in the dark this time.

---

"They want…me…" Eva felt herself slump against the balcony railing, her eyes fixated on the stone floor. This is what Jordan, her over protective partner, wanted her to do? How could going with them solve anything? How on Earth could she play along to that?

"Molly, I ran here as fast as I could, we only have until daylight to figure out what we must do," Aikka told her, stepping closer to her. "The only problem is, I don't know how to escape this. Both of our planets' fates are at stake here…But I could never give you to them." He told her with gleaming blue eyes, his spirit near broken and his heart confused.

Eva stayed quiet for just a few moments, mind racing, trying to figure out what Jordan had in store ahead of time. How this could possibly work.

"Eva?" Aikka asked, nervous at her silence.

"Let's do it." Eva murmured, causing Aikka's eyes to widen.

"No, I can't let you give yourself to them!" he immediately countered. Eva, however, turned one of her famous, confident grins at him.

"Aikka, this is what I have to do. Jordan visited me tonight," Aikka's expression immediately changed from pleading to wonderment as she continued. "He was vague, as I'm beginning to think most avatars are, but he told me this;"

"I'm listening," Aikka said cautiously.

"He's getting help, but he needs more time. We have to buy him some. We have to play along." Eva pushed herself off of her perch, trying to convince herself that she was confident about this plan. Right now her complete trust was in Jordan's hands. Aikka was instantly stunned.

"Play along? How can we do that, this isn't a game!" Aikka retorted worriedly.

"I'm not completely sure either, Aikka, and frankly, I'm scared myself," Eva admitted, rubbing her arms from a chill that wasn't there. "But Jordan told me to do this, and he said I'd figure it out when I needed to."

Aikka still looked unsure, as he glanced upwards at the reddish glow that was fading from the night sky. It would be dawn in only a couple of hours. They needed a plan and this one was the only one. And despite his pride, Aikka admitted that the human gunner turned divine entity did have Eva's best interests at heart. How could he not, after all, the young man had only fallen in love with her the way he himself had. Still, the thought of Eva walking off with the Crogs, be it to play along or not…Was as unpleasant as it gets.

"Alright." Aikka agreed with a sigh. "But we're running out of time…I think we should go talk to my mother and father…" Eva nodded in agreement. Taking his hand, she led him back into the palace while Satis followed them both inside.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't bite off more than I can chew," Eva told him, knowing almost exactly what he was so apprehensive about. Aikka stared at her with this affirmation, but still…

The foreboding feeling in his core remained.

---

If Aikka had been reluctant about Eva's idea, the king and queen were nearly double. It was hard to imagine someone being more fearful than Aikka was now, but it was also true that they had not seen Eva's true and surprising potential, the now-Avatar's deep love and protection of the girl, and not to mention, they were also worn from Kross's 'visit,' the carriers of pressure of not one, but two planets' welfare.

It was no wonder they needed some coaxing into the idea of meeting Kross head on, as Eva had put it in a stirring presentation of Jordan's plan. If this was the wrong move…They were balancing on the edge of a knife; one wrong step and they would fall, and two planets with them.

By the end of the talk they had been educated on her true relationship to the one and only Avatar, and her visit with him. Eva thanked the difference in culture for them being so understanding, thinking that she'd be considered absolutely out of her mind if she'd presented this idea, her story of meeting the Avatar, to any less spiritual creature. The meeting days previous with the President was proof enough of that.

By the end of the talk, Eva felt pumped with adrenaline, the thought of beating Kross leaving her crimson eyes intense with purpose as she stared at the king and queen, while they deliberated without words. She was suddenly confident, and in an odd way, thrilled, though at the same time, terrified beyond reason. The silence in the room as she stood rigid, Aikka at her side, hummed loudly in her ears after she finished speaking.

It would be alright, Jordan would not let them down. Much less lead her into an inescapably dangerous situation. Jordan would come, he would bring help. She would know what to do.

_She would know what to do. _

She kept repeating these words in her frantic mind, and somehow hoping that they would receive the encouragement through some sort of telekinesis that she wasn't even sure the Nourasians could use…much less when speaking with a human.

Aikka shifted after moments that seemed like hours. He could sense daylight drawing nearer. They needed his mother and father's agreement for this to go through…Though he somehow doubted that disapproval would stop the rebellious girl next to him from keeping her word to Jordan. He nearly laughed at the thought of something as trivial as words stopping her. It was, in a word, preposterous. He knew her far too well. Yet still, she stood, silent under the scrutinizing eyes of his father waiting, just waiting for approval.

"Aikka," His father finally sounded in an exhausted but obligatorily strong voice, meanwhile Aikka snapped to attention. Blue eyes met the focused grey of Lao's gaze expectantly. "You know where Kross has ordered his meeting with you?"

"Yes," Aikka nodded quickly. Eva transferred her gaze from Nori and Lao to their son, turning her head just barely enough to put him in her peripheral vision.

Lao met Aikka's word with a slight hesitation. Looking towards Nori, her intense blue eyes focused and confident, he silently weighed the options one last time. Nori tilted her head forward just slightly, not taking her eyes from his.

"You shall take Lady Eva there at dawn. Negotiate with them…as you may," He let the last bit out as a hesitant grunt, and he then grew silent in the rather confusing situation. "Protect her as long as you can, and hope to the spirits that the Avatar pulls through."

"By any means necessary." Aikka needed little incentive to agree. Nori now stepped forward.

"Lady Eva," Eva's eyes snapped from their dumbfounded stare at the king onto the queen. "You have our blessing, and our planet's thanks for your efforts. You have done so much for us and our son already without asking anything in return," She smiled appreciatively. Eva was reminded of her own mother, staring into those warm eyes, that kind smile. Nori then bowed. "My prayers are with you, my son, and the Avatar. There may be hope for our cause yet," She said serenely as Eva flushed once more from the humbling sight of the queen bowing again to her.

"It's my honor," Eva bowed in return, "I hope you don't mind me saying, that this planet…It's like a second home to me," Eva confessed quietly, her eyes slightly misty. Nori's smile only deepened, her crystal eyes sparkling in the torch-light. Eva smiled back, still flushed with color.

Aikka smiled, and respectfully dismissed himself and Eva in the tension that suddenly surrounded the approaching day. It left them both with a deep pit of tension, excitement, adrenaline, and fear in the deepest part of themselves. And Aikka was amazed to begin with that his parents had been so compliant, even after learning of his eavesdropping. But the fact was, this was happening, and now it was time to look forward, and already the gears were turning in his head.

There wasn't much they'd be able to do in the event that this plan completely fell through, protecting Eva in that scenario would only be prolonging the inevitable since the planets would fall not long after failure. But he refused to believe that Jordan would let it go that far, especially with Eva's life in the balance.

What could be done, however, was a little insurance. Jordan was coming, that he knew in his heart, he put all his faith in it. But who was to stop Kross and his ranks from taking a cheap shot at Eva in the meantime? Jordan would stop the downfall of the planets…Simply because of the sheer amount of imbalance the Crogs had been creating and were still planning to create.

But the individual life of Eva, that was in Aikka's hands, and he knew it. As a ruler-to-be, he knew the rules. Special treatment of an individual was unlikely to be something promoted by the Creators, that's why Jordan was not considered Earth's personal bodyguard, hard to understand as that may have been for President McMillan…

So through the halls, he quietly laid out his plans to Eva as they walked, straight down towards the guest hall where the early risers of her little misfit family were likely to already be getting up.

Eva felt confident with his plan, involving the participation of the Nourasian Knights and Janni. What she wasn't convinced about was the fact that she had to tell her father about this. He wasn't going to be happy with her exposing herself to such dire situations…He hated that she still raced in the simplistic races back on Earth!

Nonetheless, she met the situation with determination as she often did when Aikka went to separate and rally the forces. Knocking on the door before entering, she sought reinforcements from Janni.

"Where have you been all night?! I've been up for half an hour, I was about to come looking for you!" Janni raved protectively instead of greeting Eva. The racer, however managed to calm her friend down as she dragged her out of the room…Only before putting her back into apprehension when Eva explained the situation to her.

"Aikka's off getting the knights together, he's doing everything in his power to make this work without back-firing," Eva explained in a hurried whisper to her friend in the hallway. With a sigh, she concluded her story. "Now all I have to do is tell my father. Easier said than done."

"Oh, really, like he's going to stop you, Eva." Janni hissed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's get this over with." With that she dragged Eva and presented her to the vertical plane that was her father's suddenly intimidating door.

She rehearsed her lines in her head as she knocked, glad to hear some activity inside. The door opened, and a groggy Don Wei met her gaze.

"Eva? What are you doing up this early?" He then remembered the happenings of the previous night and his expression turned cautious. "What happened last night, is everything ok? If that prince has hurt you anymore…"

"It's all been taken care of, dad, its fine," Eva somehow managed to fend off the blush that came from the memories of her and Aikka's activities the previous night. She immediately looked up at her father, crimson eyes intense as she met with his obsidian eyes that she knew were about to be wrought with worry.

"Listen, dad…There's something happening…Something I need to do. I know you're going to freak out, say I shouldn't do it…But I have to. Earth and Nourasia are both depending on it." Eva explained quickly. Don's look immediately changed, his rough look from just waking up was replaced with suspicion.

"This has to do with the Crogs? What's going on, Eva?" His voice gradually went from bewilderment to an almost scolding tone, as if Eva had been lying or keeping something from him. Eva shook her head, involuntarily.

"I'm…Helping Jordan out with something. He needs my help to end this war. Aikka and Janni and the knights are going to help, but dad," She looked at him pleadingly now. "You have to promise to stay away from this. This is something I need to do. Jordan's counting on me, and I can't let him down or we're all in deep trouble!"

Don looked, wide-eyed, at his daughter. She gazed back at him, urging him wordlessly to understand. He could not get involved, could not follow. He could not keep her from doing this.

"Eva, what's going on?" He asked darkly.

"It's like when Canaletto destroyed Oban and it was up to me, Aikka and Jordan to make things right. We're all so close to destruction and there's only one way out." Eva explained, not bringing herself to tell him the real answer that involved her somehow playing into the Crogs' plans.

"I need to do this, dad. All I need you to do is let me do it, and put your trust in Jordan." Eva said before flinging her arms around his waist. "And I promise I'll come back. Just like I did last time." She said quietly, tears starting to form in her eyes from the fear, the guilt of leaving him there in the dark.

She didn't give him a word to say otherwise before abruptly letting go and turning on her heel, running down the hall with Janni in tow. Don started after, in a confused daze, but a strong hand on his shoulder kept him where he was. Turning, he saw Rick's face, shaking from side to side.

"You're lucky he's used to you saving the world." Janni said as they ran, trying to lighten the mood. "You should have seen my parent's faces when Jordan said he wanted to join the army when he was seven!"

Eva laughed darkly, wiping remaining tears from her eyes. Glances out the window showed a deep violet sky; the deep blue hues of night beginning to turn to the red of the day. It was nearly time. Her heart leapt out of her chest.

The girls were met in the stables by a considerable collection of Nourasian knights, Takai and Aikka standing at the front as they came in. Their expressions looked dark; the Crogs must have already settled into their meeting point.

"Everything is under way," Aikka said mutedly to the both of them as Takai gave orders to some of the knights, watching them all sprint off and out the bridge doorway and disappearing without sound. "Those knights are going to surround the area, hide out on the cliffs. The Crogs will not know of their presence, and if they try anything…"

"They won't know what hit them," Janni grinned approvingly, "I like this." Aikka nodded.

"Takai and Janni, you two will flank those doors," He pointed at the doorway leading to the racing canyons, to the Crogs, "You will do the same and keep a close eye on the situation from above. Janni, your aim with that is good enough to shoot down there without risk of hitting Eva or myself, right?" Aikka asked apprehensively.

"Aikka, don't you know anything about me?" Janni griped, patting her gun confidently. "My gunning wasn't top of the class for nothing."

"Good. Keep it focused on Kross." Aikka grinned. "And if anything does happen…I'm leading Eva back up here. You two will cover us and get us through."

Takai nodded, and took Janni aside so they could both prepare. That left Aikka and Eva alone. Eva strode over to the door, stopping just beyond the point where she'd be seen by the Crogs below. She rubbed at her arms, the feeling of anticipation, the nervousness, making her feel like she was on pins and needles. Aikka walked quietly up to stand next to her, for a second just taking her in once more.

"It…feels like I'm on Oban again. This is the same way I felt before the races." Eva whispered to her companion. "Like I'm afraid…Terrified…But there's no way I'm not doing it." Aikka set a hand on the small of her back.

"I don't like it either..." He smiled at her, hoping it was encouraging. "But I'm not abandoning you this time."

Eva looked back up at him, Crimson eyes suddenly glittering as the sun finally made its appearance through the wide race doorway.

"I know." Eva said softly. Aikka leaned his forehead against hers for a brief moment, before it was finally time. Takai and Janni sidled up in the shadows on either side of the door, keeping themselves well out of sight from below. Janni cued Takai, and Takai nodded to Aikka.

The prince, setting one hand on his sword hilt, the other into Eva's nearly trembling hand, began to walk forward as more star light filtered into the stable. They emerged into the full light, nearly shielding their eyes from the bright red around them. Below, at the bottom of the canyon, on the other side of the sloping stands…Was Kross. Flanked by three other Crogs and two tridents parked on the stone ground.

Eva had a difficult time of deciding whether to watch Kross or her own unsteady steps down the slope from the stables to the canyon floor. At least Aikka was there to catch her if she fell…He guided her protectively out across the plane surrounded by cliffs, their sandals both scratching on the stone below them as they walked. The Crogs loomed larger and larger the closer they got. Kross began snickering as Aikka stopped them both about fifty feet in front of Kross. Aikka's hand instinctively closed tighter around Eva's hand.

It was now when Eva started looking for her signs. The signs that would show her what to do.

"Well, well. Aikka, how surprising yet delightful to see you here!" His eye narrowed amusedly at the sight. "How wonderful to know that your parents can still talk sense into you."

Aikka merely glared, saying nothing to tempt attack. He instantly felt that ache back in his stomach; and though he was getting used to it, it didn't make him feel any better. He felt Eva's hand go slightly clammy against his own.

The girl, meanwhile, looked downcast, in part playing the role of the betrayed human, and part in waiting for inspiration to hit. She felt Kross's eye then focus on her, and she finally paid the creature a look, her eyes flashing momentarily to the red gleam of starlight on his robotic arm.

"And you, human, you must be so devastated!" Kross cackled at her. "Betrayed by your beloved Nourasian after all! How pitiful."

"You wish," Eva scoffed back. "I came here completely on my own. It'd be an honor to get you away from Earth and Nourasia."

At this, Kross simply glared at her. The girl inwardly smirked at the fact that her remark seemed to bother Kross, made him think that his little mind game of breaking her spirit and her faith in Aikka was unsuccessful. Which of course meant that so far, the General was buying their con. It was at this moment she was struck with the observation on how easy it was to spur Kross's anger, how simple it would be to light his short fuse. The Crog, in turn reacted instinctually and quickly, taking a step forward at her words. The alien rose readily and easily to challenge.

"Mind your tongue, Human. Your insolence will not save you here as it did in the final race!" Aikka took a ghost of a step closer to her at this point, feeling the conversation was going too fast in the wrong direction. For Eva, however, something in Kross's words clicked.

"_Just remember that Kross is still sore over the outcome of Oban."_

Oban. Of course. Her eyes then shifted to the Crog's threatening mechanic arm, his prize of the race. The race was Kross's strongest point of anger, what he was most vengeful about, the whole reason she was at this meeting in the racing arena of Nourasia. And Jordan, it seemed, wanted her focusing on it, with that one hint he gave her.

"You are in no position to escape me this time, Human. I have you now, and I won't hesitate to extract my vengeance!" Kross continued, bringing Eva out of her sudden lapse of realization.

Aikka had responded to Kross's words with another inch closer to Eva, this time letting a small growl escape him. Kross nearly glared at him, before Eva drew his attention. Stepping forward and past Aikka's protective shoulder and astounded gaze, she wore a little grin. Had Aikka been able to see that grin, he'd know that it was one of her grins of competition. Of a challenge.

"If the race is all you're still chasing me for, then why don't we settle this correctly?" Eva challenged the Crog, putting all her courage into her words. No matter what Jordan had said to assure her, she still needed everything she had to put herself on the line like this, as Kross's eye glinted over her. She couldn't show any fear, yet her heart was pounding so hard, she wouldn't have been surprised if Aikka or the Crogs had heard it. "If you want to prove which one of us is the best racer, why don't you just do it?"

Aikka gasped behind her, realizing where she was taking this negotiation. But in the name of the Moon spirits, why was she doing it? This was Jordan's brilliant plan?

Kross, with his eye blazing in anger, took a looming step forward. "Just what are you insinuating, human?" He growled as his good fist clenched at her outburst. Eva set her own fists on her hips, gaining a little more confidence; Kross was reacting beautifully to her improvised plan.

"What do you think I'm insinuating? If you're really the greatest pilot in this galaxy, if my victory was just a fluke, why don't you just prove it? It certainly still bothers you enough to start another war against us," Eva goaded the enormous Crog, raising more tension in the Nourasian behind her. "Why not take back the victory you so deserve?"

"Why would I waste my time with _that_, when I could easily end you right where you stand?" Kross growled, advancing yet again, sinking Eva in shadows and sending a chill up her back.

Perhaps it was instinct, but Aikka too advanced, evening up with Eva, his hand tighter than ever around the hilt of his blade. He glared up at Kross with almost enough fury to rival the Crog's.

"Molly, what are you doing?" the Nourasian muttered under his breath at the girl, never taking his eyes off of Kross.

It was at this point that Kross noticed the blue glare, the Nourasian's rising tension of the situation that was quickly evading his control. The General inwardly grinned; it seemed this situation was taking an interesting turn in terms of his torturing of Aikka…Eva, meanwhile, pressed on, treading carefully, knowing this was the path Jordan wanted for her, knowing that this was going to plan. It had to have been. And while she knew Aikka had just spoken to her, she knew it had to be done. This was their only chance.

"I've got a ship, and we've got a racing course. You can have your pay-back from me, but why not do it on the racetrack?" Eva dared the Crog, knowing the next step in the baiting process would put her on thin ice. "Unless you're too much of a coward to show who's the rightful winner of Oban, once and for all!"

"You will die where you stand!" Was Kross's response as he loomed further over her, taking yet another step into the argument, his mechanical arm twisting and clinking into a fist. Eva took a frightened step back, but clung hopelessly to her faith in her Partner and his word. Unheard to them was Janni in the stable door behind them, leaning into her aim with a cock of her gun, the stretching of straining bowstrings as the Nourasian knights surrounding them became on edge.

All but Kross was lost to Eva, until Aikka quickly lept in the small space remaining between Crog and Human, sword partially drawn, hate etched into his tan features and blue eyes. "You will not touch her," was his guttural snarl, again an act of instinctual protection of his beloved. Kross took note of the young man's reaction and proceeding range of emotion as Eva spoke again, barreling on with her plan.

"If it's a race this war is about, then a race should finish it Kross! Don't tell me you're afraid to battle me for a prize again!" Eva regained her near-control over the situation, drawing Aikka slightly out of his position between her and the enemy with a glance towards her, full of apprehension that Kross could too easily sense. The Crog's expression turned heinously entertained for a moment.

"Battle you for a prize? And without the Ultimate Prize, what do you have to offer me in this contest?" Kross pointed out with a dark laugh. "What incentive do I have to agree to my prisoner's terms?"

Eva shrugged, "Like I said, you get to prove what a fantastic racer you are, that you should have been the one to win Oban rightfully…" Eva was careful to lace her words with just enough sarcasm to keep Kross hooked by a challenge to his ego without letting too much get her into serious trouble. Her eyes then focused directly at his as her voice grew serious. "And everything stays the same. You get me, and all the revenge you could possibly get your fill of, and leave our planets alone. But you also get your honor as a great racer back, you show the galaxy what General Kross is really made of, and I concede my honorary title as the winner of Oban."

Aikka felt his stomach twist as she offered herself up, but the pause from Kross, almost made it feel as though he was contemplating the offer. Aikka knew that the Crogs prided themselves in their own, twisted sense of honor, but could Eva really be playing to that sense? It was obvious that she was using his temper to her advantage, but challenging him to a race and raising the stakes...questioning his abilities to claim even a false victory was almost a sure way to get Kross to respond. The Crog's eye was still pressed into a slit that glared high above Aikka and Eva, but somehow, something seemed to be clicking. Was Jordan's premonition really coming to realization? Kross's gaze glanced slightly at the Nourasian once more, and Aikka felt as if he was being measured; he felt a sudden and burning evil in Kross's eyes as he looked him over, reading into the Nourasian's tension. It was if his surveying gaze was able to see straight through to his turning stomach, his flustered and anxious soul.

"You get your revenge twice, and all it takes is a race. You and me, no rules, anything goes." Eva continued baiting Kross. "I have no where else to run, with your troops everywhere. You have nothing to lose," Eva drew up her courage again; this would make or break the deal. "Anyone could see that you could easily kill me here, but unless you're afraid to race a pathetic human, you'll always be only _second best_ from the Race of Oban."

A great rumble of a growl emitted Kross. Aikka's eyes went from Kross to Eva, finding her red gaze perfectly solid. If she was afraid, it was not visible on her face.

"Me, afraid to race a pathetic human?" Kross spat, building himself up as the towering creature he was. "It seems you do not yet know your place, 'princess!'"

Far behind them, Janni and Takai felt their own breath restricting, just waiting for a fist to fly. The gunner kept a steady hold on her weapon, keeping it trained directly at Kross. Takai also kept his weapon ready, lean muscles still holding the end of his arrow tense on the string.

Eva could feel more and more warmth on her from the rising star, and she prayed that it lend her strength as Kross loomed over her and on his final decision. She could almost see the gears in his head turning over her challenge.

"End it, then. Teach me my place." Eva goaded, her own eyes narrowing with a competitive edge. "And take me as your prize, not just some bargaining tool. I may be ready to give myself for the sake of my friends, but I'm still not going down without a fight. Wouldn't you rather toy with your prey before you eat it?"

Kross's eye gave a flash, his broad shoulders and chest going momentarily stiff; a sure sign of consideration. Eva held tight to the edge she'd found, glaring him down, challenging him further, wordlessly. She felt the heat of the Nourasian star growing slightly hotter on her face as it rose steadily up the sky. Everything was getting brighter in the stadium, and she took it carefully as a good omen.

Suddenly, Kross's great arms—including the prosthetic, loaded one—found their ways back to his sides as he pushed his chest out.

"Very well, Human." Even his fellow Crogs were stunned at the words from their General, who was now glaring, almost smiling, at the human girl. "Let it not be said of the Crogs that we cannot negotiate a deal. If torture is what you want, then I will only be happy to give it to you." He gave a look towards his Trident and his underlings, who snapped out of confusion and into attention under his scrutiny.

"Dawn tomorrow. You be here with your useless racer so I can enjoy myself scrapping it." Kross ordered, as the other Crogs lumbered to the Trident, preparing it on some unspoken order. "You run, you die, and the rest of both your people with you." He gave Aikka and Eva one final warning before giving a deep, dark chuckle that still chilled Aikka to his bones.

With that, he finally retreated to his ship as well, leaving the two smaller beings with their hearts hammering. It wasn't until the Trident twisted with a devious hum into the sky and off to the Crog outpost, that either one of them dared to move. Aikka's thoughts were firing off in so many different directions at the development, but Eva was the first to actually say a word.

"I…I did it…" She wheezed, her eyes widening as she stared at the sky where the Trident was last seen. "I can't believe it. I actually talked down a _Crog!_" Her hands we slightly shaky as she looked at them, hardly daring to think that it wasn't a dream.

With that, she clasped them, and gave almost a little hop. Aikka finally pried his hand of the hilt of his sword, the blade sliding back into place in its sheath…but the prince was far from relieved.

"Molly, are you sure this was the best course of action?" She gave him an odd look.

"Aikka, this is what Jordan told me! He was vague, but everything did make sense, just like he said…" She articulated with a few waves of her hands, before sighing and dropping them to her sides. "Everything came through. We have Kross on our watch, now. Jordan's a genius." She looked relieved almost to the point of being elated.

Aikka's face soured, possibly over the entire situation, possibly with a tinge of jealousy for the regard of the Avatar. Shaking his head of such thoughts, he meant to further engage her on the subject, but they were suddenly being joined by Janni and not far behind, Takai.

"Did I seriously just see what I thought I saw?!" Janni mused, a huge, signature grin on her face. "Way to go, girl, you scared away a Crog!!" She quickly overtook her charge in a gripping hug.

"Something tells me it isn't quite over," Takai put in calmly, looking meaningfully at Eva and then Aikka, whose gaze fell away, troubled.

"No, it isn't over yet," Eva confirmed over her smile. "We should take this back inside where we can talk freely…" Though not visible anymore, the red glow just beyond the planet's atmosphere was acknowledged by the group as they nodded and headed for the stairway.

Aikka was the only one who lingered, if but for a moment. He gave a quick once-over to the stadium, the starting arena for every race he'd ever won on the planet, every one he'd ever lost. He briefly saw the arena on Alwas, the race between himself and Eva…The race between himself and Toros…Toros and Eva.

The disaster that could ensue in a no holds barred race in this very track, a track as dangerous as it was unique. Disaster.

The word, the emotion, rang in his chest as he forced himself after his friends. The love of his life, and Nourasia's greatest enemy, locked in a battle on a track that was brutal to newcomers, let alone ones of another species…

How had it come to this?

----

"You want to _what_?!" Stan's voice was sharp, the toothpick between his teeth going slack, almost to the point of falling out.

"Fix up the racer? To race _Kross_?!" Koji piped in, his voice a little more tremulous than his partner's. Eva groaned in dismay.

"Guys, I know this is insane, but we only have one day, and she's still pretty beat up after all the commotion the other day!" Eva pleaded, Janni flanking her. Eva clasped her hands together in a begging motion and looked at her mechanic friends desperately. "Please, you guys, I need your help with this. I promise on Jordan's word that I know what I'm doing." The boys could have sworn that she somehow added some of that innocent shine that brought the image of a puppy to their minds.

"We've heard that one before…" Stan grumbled. Koji nudged him sharply in the ribs, though he still looked fairly troubled himself.

"Of course we'll help you," Koji said weakly. "You're sure you know how insane this is, though, right?"

"I do, Koj. And thank you." Eva beamed.

"Yeah, yeah, just be gentle with her, ok? We'd like this masterpiece to last a little bit longer than a week. She cost us a pretty penny, you know." Stan replied with his own nervous approval.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," Janni motioned towards a now scowling Eva, "And keep Kross off our tail. I won't let him near your precious baby."

"We appreciate it," Koji laughed nervously. The sweat beads were already beginning to form on his brow. "Alright…Let us get changed and we'll meet you in the stable, Eva." He said with a slight yawn, scratching an itch underneath his Nourasian sleeping clothes.

"Right. Well, Jan, guess there's one more thing to do. Again." Eva turned to her friend as Stan and Koji's door closed quietly before them. Janni's smirk fell into a frown of dismay.

"Don Wei, right?" She suggested, getting a nod out of Eva. She knew her father would be even less happy to hear about this than he was to hear about the meeting in the first place…And as such, she would have much rather gone off to find Aikka, who was, as far as she knew, talking things over with the king and queen. She did, after all, need some help preparing for the new track, and who better than the planet's best racer?

Either way, she had to get this over with so she could get on to more productive things. So, turning with Janni, the girls made for her father's door once again.

---

Kross once more settled into his station, keeping an eye on his troops; all of them were at their posts, scattered about the planet of Nourasia and the planet of Earth. The Earth based troops were having a slight trouble of Earthen uprising, but nothing his numbers there couldn't handle. He knew that the Earth battle ships had all been disabled a year before, and as far as the primitive race had advanced, it still took time and money to rebuild such technologies. They weren't _that_ far into the intelligence department. And his last attack on the planet had devastated their military bases, as he'd anticipated.

With a dark chuckle and some rearranging of his Nourasian based troops to focus on areas surrounding the capital city of Daalan, just to ensure that he got his race, that the pitiful racer and her prince didn't move.

"General Kross, sir, with all due respect," his underling cautiously interrupted the great Crog, "Was this really the best course of action against the Nourasians and Earth? What if this is a trap?"

"A trap devised by the Nourasians and a band of misplaced humans," Kross chuckled darkly. "I hardly consider that a trap. If there is a revolt, we will quell it, as we have done since coming to this planet. But if the human would like her defeat handed to her in front of the gaze of her wretched _beloved_, so be it." He made a very convincing and threatening fist with his narration, staring into his holographic plans. "It's far too easy to make that young prince squirm, but it's an activity I enjoy, nonetheless." The general fell into unreadable silence, and his underling took this as the end of their discussion, giving an obedient bow.

"Sir," the Crog made to excuse himself, and Kross turned to face him just as he made his move to leave.

"I have an order." Kross's voice boomed again, the subordinate stopped rigidly in his tracks, yellow eyes wide and rapt with attention to his leader.

"Retrieve our good friend _Toros_ from his cell. Bring him here."

* * *

And there you have it, chapter 19! Like I said, I hope I did this chapter well and was able to make the negotiation believable. I really played to Kross's vengeful feelings, temper that probably wasn't helped out by his loss in the race, and also his liking of putting Aikka in his place, in order to get him to go along with Eva's challenge to a race. Along with the idea of Crogs having some sense of honor. Given the fact that it has been confirmed that Toros surrendered HIMSELF to execution after failing to win against the Earth team, I see it as a slightly samurai sense of honor where failure is not an option. I applied it to Kross with the idea of him failing to actually win back the title of best racer in the galaxy. I hope this worked, and was probably the one part that kept me stuck when I was writing this chapter.

Next Chapter: Preperations for the big race are made, and word spreads like wildfire. And is Aikka still bothered by the whole situation? Tensions rise, emotions run high, as clouds form on the horizon and the race begins...


End file.
